A 40 year old Inver Grove Heights mother is facing a charge of DUI for an incident that could potentially lead to charges of child endangerment. The woman was caught driving drunk with her son in the car.
According to WCCO a witness called 911 after seeing the woman and her son in Cub foods. The witness approached the suspect in the frozen foods aisle but the suspect would not speak with her. Instead, the woman is said to have stumbled while the child said “Mommy, I want to go home.”
A short time later the suspect, whose name is not being released, was pulled over on Highway 110, just a short distance from the grocery store. She was transported to a detox center and it isn’t clear what was done with the child.
Perhaps the most disturbing about this story is that the woman was 5 times over the legal limit. One police officer mentioned in the news story stated he had only seen one other person with a BAC this high in his entire career.
Currently, the charges against the mother are simply DUI. However, her extreme BAC could mean gross misdemeanor DUI and the fact that her child was involved could lead to additional charges.
Gross misdemeanor charges apply when you are charged with DUI and there are aggravating circumstances present. Examples of an aggravating circumstance include prior convictions, the presence of a child, or a BAC over .20.
Regardless of the charge against her, it isn’t likely that this woman will see much leniency simply because the presence of a child is hard to ignore even in the eyes of the law.
Facing DUI charges can be a scary experience, whether this is your first offense or one of many. Having an experienced DUI attorney with you, however, can help take some of that stress away.
If you are up against charges like these, we can help. Contact our defense lawyers today for some free legal advice.
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