News

12-year-old New Mexico girl arrested for DWI after chase

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — It was a disturbing arrest for police in New Mexico. A driver, busted for driving while intoxicated and leading police on a high speed chase, was just a 12-year-old girl.

Alamogordo police say they were on an unrelated call earlier this month when a suspicious car caught their attention. Police said before they even tried to pull it over, the driver took off at a high rate of speed. Officers chased the car until the driver lost control, plowing into a street sign and shattering the front windshield before nearly hitting two police cars.

The 12-year-old driver was with three of her friends, all aged between 12 and 13. Police said they all smelled like alcohol. In the car, officers found Twisted brand hard iced teas and a Smirnoff product.

TRENDING NOW:

"It's scary. It's concerning. There's a lot of mixed emotions with it because we don't know the situation, the dynamics at home," Chief Brian Peete told KRQE.  Peete said the girl admitted to waiting until her grandfather fell asleep to take his car, then picked up her friends to go drinking.

The girl was charged with DWI and for leading police on that chase. All four girls were charged with underage drinking.

"Grateful that no one was hurt, no one was injured, but how do we move forward in trying to get these things from happening again, how can we become more involved?" said Peete.

Authorities are still investigating where the girls got the alcohol from.