RSSIn a car-centric region like Southern California, it’s often understood that if one has had a drink or two – or more – after a night out, the best way to get home is via a designated driver, public transportation or a taxi. Recently in Valencia, a woman from Santa Clarita was charged with DUI after she purportedly got behind the wheel of a taxi cab at a local mall.
The incident happened in May and began when a 27-year-old woman called for a cab around 6:00pm on a Sunday evening. The driver of the taxi drove for approximately one mile before the woman asked him if he would mind helping her move her own vehicle at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. The taxi driver proceeded to the shopping center where they located the woman’s car. The woman informed him that her car had an ignition interlock device in it; she asked if the driver could help her move the vehicle so that a towing company would not remove it from the parking lot.
The cab driver apparently agreed to help the woman but when he got back to his own vehicle, both the car and the woman appeared to be missing. The man called the police and deputies from the Santa Clarita County Sheriff’s Substation came to the scene. They eventually located the woman in the cab in a mall parking lot structure. The report from authorities indicated the woman was behind the wheel of the taxi and the keys were in the ignition.
The woman underwent a field sobriety test and was subsequently charged with DUI, unlawful operation of a vehicle and driving with a blood alcohol content level of .08. She denied guilt and will appear in court for a preliminary arraignment on August 20. The cab driver decided not to go forward with charges relating to the use of his vehicle. The woman has two prior convictions for DUI; one in 2011 and one from 2006.
To see what type of defense is most appropriate for your own DUI charges, contact Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Jonathan I. Kelman at 310.286.1218 for more information.