Woman Drove Drunk With Three Children In SUV At Long Island Shopping Center, Police Say

A woman drove drunk at a busy Long Island shopping center with three children in the SUV, police said.

Applebee’s Grill & Bar parking lot in Lindenhurst.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps street view*

02/02/2020 11:00 a.m.

It happened Saturday, Feb. 2 just before 9 p.m. in Lindenhurst, Suffolk County Police said.

First Precinct officers observed a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe driving erratically in the parking lot of Applebee’s Grill & Bar, located at 600 North Wellwood Ave., and initiated a traffic stop.

When officers approached the vehicle, they observed three children, ages 1, 3 and 7, unrestrained in the backseat, according to police.

Detectives charged the driver, Sara Caceres-Portillo, 28, of Copiague, with the following:

driving while intoxicated,
aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years old or younger (Leandra’s Law),
second-degree harassment,
and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

She was held overnight at the First Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Sunday, Feb. 2.

The three children were released to the custody of a family member at the scene.

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