In a release, New York State Police said Leopoldo Lima Flores, 37, was arrested on March 29 and charged with driving while intoxicated and two counts of aggravated DWI with a child passenger less than 16, a charge also known as DWI Leandra’s Law.
Police noted Leandra’s Law, or the Child Passenger Protection Act, is named after Leandra Rosado. The 11-year-old was killed in a crash after the driver of the vehicle she was in, who had been drinking for hours prior to the fatal incident, lost control of the vehicle on the Henry Hudson Parkway. It sets some of the toughest DWI provisions in the country, according to police.
At 3:31 a.m. on March 29, police said, troopers stopped a 2026 Honda CRV on the north side of the New York State Thruway, or I-95, in Rye for several vehicle and traffic law violations. They said the driver was identified as Lima Flores, and troopers detected signs of alcohol impairment.
Police said standardized field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test were administered, in which Lima Flores showed positive results for alcohol impairment. They said further investigation revealed that two children under the age of 16 were in the vehicle.
Lima Flores was arrested and transported to headquarters in New Rochelle for processing, police said. The children were turned over to his wife, who was in the vehicle at the time, they said.
Police said Lima Flores was also issued several uniform traffic tickets, and was later released to his wife. They said he is due in Rye City Court on April 24.