Riverhead Town Police report the arrest of a Riverhead man for driving while intoxicated with two children in his vehicle on Jan. 1.
Police said they stopped a 2021 Toyota Tundra for traffic violations in the area of Main Road and Linda Avenue at 12:28 a.m. After an investigation, officers determined the operator of the vehicle, identified as Jose Torres, 53, of Riverhead was intoxicated, according to the report. He had two passengers in his vehicle who were children, ages 5 and 8, police said.
Torres was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated in violation of Leandra’s Law and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, police said. He was processed and held for morning arraignment, according to the report.
Leandra’s Law, also known as the Child Passenger Protection Act, makes 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.
Leandra’s Law took effect in November 2009. It is named for Leandra Rosado of the Bronx, an 11-year-old killed in October 2009 when a car driven by a drunk family friend crashed on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan.
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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