Woman arrested for DWI on State Route 55 after being charged under Leandra’s Law with a child passenger

New York – A Sunday evening traffic stop in Dutchess County has resulted in serious charges under New York’s Leandra’s Law after a state trooper pulled over a woman accused of driving while intoxicated with a child in her vehicle.

On August 31, 2025, at about 6:29 p.m., authorities say a Jeep Wrangler was reported traveling erratically along State Route 55 in the Town of LaGrange. Dutchess County 911 issued a BOLO alert for the vehicle, prompting a Trooper from the State Police Poughkeepsie barracks to locate and stop the Jeep.

The driver was identified as 62-year-old Angela P. Torres of Jackson Heights, New York. According to officials, she showed clear signs of intoxication during the roadside encounter. Even more concerning, investigators confirmed that a 15-year-old child was inside the vehicle at the time of the stop.

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Following standard procedure, Torres was taken into custody and brought to the State Police Poughkeepsie station for further evaluation. She agreed to a chemical breath test, which police say revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.14 percent, well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent in New York. The underage passenger was released unharmed into the care of a sober third party.

Because a minor was present in the vehicle, Torres now faces charges under Leandra’s Law, legislation enacted in 2009 that makes it a felony to drive intoxicated with a child under 16 years old as a passenger. Specifically, she was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger, a Class E felony. Additional charges include Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor, along with multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.

“Leandra’s Law was created to protect children from the dangers of impaired driving, and violations of that law are taken extremely seriously,” a law enforcement spokesperson said. “The presence of a child in a vehicle during a DWI incident elevates the situation from reckless behavior to criminal conduct with life-threatening consequences.”

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Officials confirmed that Torres was issued traffic tickets and released pending her appearance before the Town of LaGrange Court on a future date. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

Drunk driving cases involving minors remain a major concern for public safety advocates. State officials often point out that while overall DWI arrests have declined in recent years, the risks remain especially high when children are passengers, making enforcement of Leandra’s Law a priority.

For residents of Dutchess County, Sunday’s arrest serves as a reminder of the dangers of impaired driving and the serious legal consequences that follow. In this case, swift action by a vigilant trooper may have prevented what could have become a far more tragic situation.