A Riverhead man was arrested on a felony DWI charge under Leandra’s Law Sunday evening during a traffic stop on Doris Avenue, Riverhead Town Police said in a press release Sunday night.
An officer on routine patrol conducted a traffic stop on Doris Avenue in Riverhead for traffic violations, at about 6:24 p.m. Sunday, according to the press release.
The driver of the 2023 Nissan Rouge, Aquilino Gonzalez Salinas, 40, was found to be intoxicated, police said. He had two boys, ages 4 and 11 inside his vehicle, according to the report.
Gonzales Salinas was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated, in violation of Leandra’s Law, a felony, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Driving with a Revoked License, and other vehicle and traffic law violations, police said.
Leandra’s Law, also known as the Child Passenger Protection Act, was enacted in 2009. It is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, of the Bronx, who was killed in October 2009 in a crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. Leandra was one of seven children in the vehicle operated by a drunk driver. The operator of the vehicle was subsequently convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison.
Anyone charged with DWI or driving while impaired with a passenger under age 16 is automatically charged with a Class E Felony, a crime punishable by 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.
Gonzales Salinas was transported to Riverhead Police headquarters, where he was processed and held for morning arraignment, police said.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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