Albuquerque Police claim a mother arrested for her third DUI had a child blow into an interlock device in order to start her vehicle, local outlet KRQE reported.
Dailene Lujan, a 25-year-old mother from Isleta Pueblo, was arrested after driving drunk with her toddler and infant children, as well as her younger sister in the car, according to KRQE. In order to drive her car, Lujan had her 11-year-old sister blow into the interlock device, KRQE reported.
Albuquerque mother admits to having child blow into ignition interlock https://t.co/ltAHriFVn2
— KRQE News 13 (@krqe) February 17, 2021
Lujan had the interlock device installed in her car after she was arrested by New Mexico State Police for driving drunk at 117 miles per hour in February of 2019, as reported by Fox News.
Police were able to catch Lujan after someone called 911 to report a drunk driver parked at a gas station, and provided the vehicle’s location, KRQE reported. (RELATED: Drunk Driver Trying To Escape Police Ends Up Biting K-9, Barks At Officers)
In lapel video camera footage from the January 2021 incident, Lujan claimed the father of her infant son showed up unexpectedly, took their infant son out of Lujan’s vehicle, and dragged her as he drove away in his car, KRQE reported.
Lujan’s story conflicted with surveillance video evidence, as well as statements provided by the infant’s grandmother, who spoke to the child’s father, KRQE reported. When it seemed like that story was falling apart for Lujan, she told authorities she did not drive and did not consume alcohol until she purchased some from a nearby store, according to KRQE. Eventually, Lujan was out of options to spin the story and admitted to drinking before driving, as reported by KRQE.
After failing sobriety tests, she was arrested for her third DUI, KRQE reported. Previously, she pled guilty to a DUI charge in 2016, but is currently awaiting trial for her two other DUI charges, according to KRQE.