Man arrested for DUI, meth possession

A Maricopa man is facing DUI and drug charges after his arrest Tuesday morning.

Jason Bayt, 41, was charged with aggravated DUI, drug DUI, possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia after being found passed out in his vehicle in front of Circle K on Honeycutt Road, according to police.

Maricopa police responded to report from a Circle K employee about a man “slumped over” on the steering wheel of his vehicle in the gas station’s parking lot. When officers arrived, they observed the vehicle still running with Bayt’s foot on the brake pedal. According to the report, officers opened the car door and shook Bayt awake. Police said Bayt had bloodshot eyes and droopy eyelids and alleged he had items in his hand and lap, including “a torch” and tin foil papers with burnt residue, “typically a sign of methamphetamine drug use.” This led to the suspicion of impairment, police said.

When asked by police if he had any weapons in his possession, Bayt told police he had a gun on his right hip. Officers removed and secured the firearm and asked Bayt to exit his vehicle to conduct a field sobriety test. Bayt informed officers that his license was suspended due to a prior DUI conviction, according to police.

After conducting a field sobriety test, police determined Bayt was impaired. During a search of Bayt’s pockets, officers allegedly found a glass pipe and a metal straw with burnt residue, believed to be methamphetamine, police said.

While performing a probable cause search of Bayt’s vehicle, police allegedly found a black bag containing a smaller case of .7 grams of meth.

During the investigation, police said they determined that Bayt was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to the report.

Bayt was arrested and booked into Pinal County Jail. According to inmate records, he has since been released.