Grocery store liquor run lands repeat drunken driver in prison for two years

A 55-year-old Grafton man arrested two years ago after he drove to a grocery store to buy alcohol for a second time the same morning smelling like booze was sentenced last week in Ozaukee County Circuit Court to two years in prison for his fifth operating under the influence offense.

Thomas P. Debroux, who was convicted of that felony as well as a misdemeanor count of failing to have an ignition interlock device installed on the vehicle he was driving, by a jury in January, was also sentenced by Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Sandy Williams to three years of extended supervision following his incarceration.

The case dates to Feb. 13, 2022, when at 10:07 a.m. a police officer was dispatched to the Pick ’n Save store on Falls Road in Grafton for a report of a customer who purchased vodka at 8 a.m. that day and had driven back to the store two hours later to buy more alcohol.

Authorities were told the man, who was later identified as Debroux, was mumbling to himself and smelled like “stale vodka or booze,” according to a criminal complaint.

The officer found Debroux at the self-checkout, saw he was having trouble making his purchase and noticed his speech was slightly slurred.

When asked by the officer if a test would show he had not consumed alcohol, Debroux said he had whiskey the night before. He admitted to buying alcohol earlier that morning but said he didn’t drink any of it.

Debroux said he drove to the store in his girlfriend’s vehicle, which did not have an ignition interlock device on it. Because of his prior drunken driving convictions, Debroux was required to have an ignition interlock on any vehicle he drove and subject to a .02 blood alcohol restriction.

Asked again if he drank alcohol that morning, Debroux told the officer, “A few earlier this morning,” the complaint states.

Debroux then asked about the results of his blood alcohol breath test, which the officer never administered.

He was given a breath test at the police station, which showed he had an alcohol level of .034, according to the complaint.

During last week’s sentencing hearing, Williams revoked Debroux’s driver’s license for 36 months and ordered him to have an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he drives for 36 months.