Police: Intoxicated woman had gun, booze with juvenile in vehicle
A Las Vegas woman suspected of DWI is facing several charges after police located three adults and a 15-year-old girl parked in a car at Lincoln Park. During an investigation, police located a bottle of whiskey and a firearm, according to court documents.
Adia L. Salas, 21, was arrested Saturday evening and booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center early Sunday, charged with a felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, along with misdemeanor charges for DWI, negligent use of a deadly weapon and having an open container of alcohol.
Officers with the Las Vegas Police Department were initially responding to a confusing call from someone reporting gunshots. The initial call stated shots were heard in the area of Third Street and Lincoln Avenue, two roads that do not intersect.
One officer patrolled the area around Third Street and Washington Street, but did not locate any suspicious activity. Other officers patrolled the neighborhoods along Lincoln Avenue, further south. Those officers located a white car parked at Lincoln Park.
As officers approached the vehicle, a woman holding a bottle of whiskey exited the back seat of the car. Three others were inside the car as well, including an 18-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl. Salas was sitting in the driver seat, and her eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to a probable cause statement filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court.
Salas told officers she’d had “a shot” of whiskey more than an hour ago, and admitted to driving to Lincoln Park. The probable cause statement does not indicate if the 18-year-old or 15-year old had consumed any alcohol.
Officers removed Salas from the car to perform a series of sobriety tests. According to police, Salas performed poorly on the tests by having difficulty maintaining balance during a walking test, and swaying and hopping during a test where she was asked to stand on one leg.
Following further questioning, police say Salas admitted to having more than one shot of whiskey, saying instead that she’d had three “chugs” of whiskey and that she’d consumed a bottle of beer. Officers also smelled alcohol on her breath, according to the probable cause statement.
As officers placed Salas in handcuffs, she told police there was a handgun in the center console of the car. During a search of the vehicle, officers located the gun, as well as an empty beer bottle under the driver seat.
At the police station, Salas was given a breath test to determine the content of alcohol in her system. She tested at .07 percent. Under New Mexico law, the legal limit for an adult driver is .08 percent; however, state law does have a provision for drivers who are noticeably impaired, and courts do factor in things like how much time has passed between when someone was stopped by police and when they were tested.
At a hearing Monday, Judge Melanie Rivera released Salas on an unsecured $5,000 bond, but ordered her to house arrest. She is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court again June 1 for a preliminary hearing.
