Police: Man tried to hide alcohol on breath with body spray

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina say a man sprayed Axe body spray in his mouth to cover the smell of alcohol as deputies approached during a traffic stop.

The State newspaper reports that Spartanburg County sheriff’s deputies stopped 49-year-old Efren Mencia-Ramirez on Saturday night after they say he sped past a deputy on Interstate 85 and swerved into another lane.

The incident report says there was a 12-pack of beer on the floor and 10 of the beers were nearly empty. The report says Mencia-Ramirez had an open bottle between his legs, exhibited signs of intoxication and failed field sobriety tests.

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He faces charges including driving under the influence.

Online records showed Mencia-Ramirez was in custody. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on the charges.