L.I. Woman Accused Of Driving Drunk With 5 Children In Car
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A Long Island woman accused of driving drunk with five children in the car faced a judge on Monday.
Elba Ayala, 43, is expected to be arraigned in Central Islip.
Ayala was arrested Sunday night after she allegedly tried to drive her Nissan Altima through a sobriety checkpoint without stopping, following an event at Smith Point Beach, police said.
Officers pulled her over and found another adult passenger in the car, along with the children, who ranged in age from seven months to 8 years old, police said.
Ayala is charged with driving while intoxicated and five counts of child endangerment.
Ayala's attorney spoke briefly following a court appearance on Monday.
"My client denies the allegations at this time. I have no further comment," she said.
Prosecutors allege that the woman refused a sobriety test and showed the judge a 21 page criminal history that includes eight prior convictions. Police say that Ayala was already on probation for a DWI in 2012.
Residents in Ayala's neighborhood, a mile away from the checkpoint, said that they have been stopped there as well.
"You couldn't get away from it. Once you came over the bridge there was no backing out," one neighbor said.
It's something that neighbors hope to see more of, as the summer nights at Smith Point Beach often involve live bands and alcohol.
Ayala faces charges that include driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of five children, she remained behind bars on Monday night.
Four other adults were charged with DWI as part of the Suffolk County Police's "SAFE-T" crackdown on driving while intoxicated.
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