Albuquerque, New Mexico, police officers arrested a woman who was reportedly driving drunk with four children in her vehicle on Tuesday. A video of the incident, showing her failing a sobriety test, was released shortly after.
KOB 4 reports that Sarah Kesterson, 27, was pulled over near Second Street and Osuna after several calls were made to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office about her driving. A witness spotted Kesterson swerving through traffic in a minivan. The witness followed Kesterson and said that when the suspect made a U-turn, she almost crashed into a house.
Kesteron then stopped in the middle of the road for no apparent reason. The witness blocked the minivan while dialing 911. When police arrived, they noted that four children, all under the age of 10, in the vehicle with Kesteron. They also noted that she was slurring her speech and had blood-shot eyes.
Authorities asked Kesterson to step out of her vehicle to complete a sobriety test. She allegedly got out of the vehicle, but left she the minivan in the “drive” position, causing it to roll forward with the kids still inside.
Once she started the sobriety test, an officer had to stop it because she “fell on the floor.” Police arrested her on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and took her to the Bernalillo County jail for a breathalyzer test, but she allegedly refused the test several times.
Kesterson bonded out of court within hours. She’s schedule to appear in court on Thursday. None of the children were physically injured during the incident, but Kesterson is facing a child abuse charge as well a drunk driving charge. It’s unclear who the children were released to. Check back with Crime Online as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office]