Port Chester man charged with Leandra’s Law DWI after police find 14-year-old passenger in vehicle

New York – A Port Chester man is facing multiple driving while intoxicated charges after New York State Police found him inside a vehicle with a 14-year-old passenger early Sunday morning in Westchester County.

New York State Police said the incident began at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Oct. 4, 2026, when troopers from the Somers barracks conducted a welfare check on a vehicle. The vehicle was parked on the shoulder of Interstate 684 in the Town of North Salem.

During the investigation, troopers identified the driver as 49-year-old Hector Villa of Port Chester. Police said Villa showed signs of intoxication while officers were speaking with him.

Troopers then administered standardized field sobriety tests as part of the investigation. Police also discovered that a 14-year-old child was inside the vehicle as a passenger.

Villa was taken into custody and transported to State Police Somers for processing. Authorities said he later submitted to a chemical breath test.

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According to State Police, the test showed Villa had a blood alcohol content of 0.09%. The legal threshold for a DWI charge in New York is a BAC of 0.08%.

The presence of the 14-year-old passenger resulted in an additional, more serious charge under New York’s Leandra’s Law.

Following the investigation, Villa was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, a Class E felony. He was also charged with driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more and driving while intoxicated. Both DWI counts are unclassified misdemeanors.

Police said the child was safely released to a sober third party following Villa’s arrest.

Leandra’s Law allows for felony charges against motorists accused of driving while intoxicated with a child age 15 or younger in the vehicle. In this case, authorities said the passenger was 14 years old.

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No injuries were reported by State Police in the information released about the incident.

Villa was issued traffic tickets directing him to appear in the Town of North Salem Court later this month.

His court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026, at 5 p.m., according to State Police.

The charges against Villa are accusations, and the case will proceed through the court system.