TUESDAY: Early morning coastal
ON A WOONSOCKET
WOMAN--
CHARGED WITH DRIVING
DRUNK WITH THREE
CHILDREN IN THE CAR---
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN
EIGHT DAYS.
(CG)
41 YEAR OLD LEAH
DURAN WAS ARRAIGNED
TODAY.
AND TONIGHT--
WE'RE LEARNING MORE
ABOUT WHAT POLICE SAY
HAPPENED AT A WARWICK
BEACH.
AND WHY A JUDGE SAYS --
DURAN'S BEHAVIOR IS
OUT OF CONTROL.
(MM)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER ERIC
HALPERIN IS LIVE AT
DISTRICT COURT IN
WARWICK--
WHERE DURAN FACED A
JUDGE TODAY.
ERIC?
(EH)
DURAN IS NOW BEING
HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
SHE'S CONSIDERED A
VIOLATOR OF BAIL FROM
THE FIRST TIME POLICE
SAY SHE DID THIS LESS
THAN TWO WEEKS AGO.
41-YEAR-OLD LEAH DURAN
EMOTIONAL IN FRONT OF A
JUDGE FRIDAY MORNING AS HE
EXPLAINS WHY HE IS NOT
RELEASING HER SAYS HE'S
CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY
OF HER KIDS AND THE PUBLIC.
there's ways to say it, one is
she's
out of control
IT'S THE SECOND TIME IN
ABOUT 8 DAYS THE MOTHER OF
THREE HAS BEEN ARRESTED
ON DRUNK DRIVING CHARGES
WITH KIDS IN THE CAR.
in more dignified ways say shes
at
this point she's unable to help
herself.
THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT
HAPPENED THURSDAY IN
WARWICK. ACCORDING TO
POLICE JUST BEFORE 4 IN THE
AFTERNOON AS DURAN WAS
TRYING TO LEAVE THE
OAKLAND BEACH SEAWALL
AREA THEY GOT A 911 CALL.
SHORTLY AFTER POLICE SAY
THEY SAW DURAN DRIVING
ERRATICALLY ON OAKLAND
BEACH AVE. THEY STOPPED
HER AND ARRESTED HER ON
SUSPICION OF DRUNK DRIVING.
Officers observed that she had
bloodshot watery eyes and her
speech was slurred
OFFICERS ALSO FOUND HER
THREE KIDS WERE IN THE
CAR..THE YOUNGEST BEING 7
MONTHS OLD. THEY'RE NOW IN
THE CUSTODY OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN
YOUTH AND FAMILIES. A SIMILAR
INCIDENT WITH DURAN
HAPPENED JUST LAST WEEK
ON JULY 11. POLICE SAY SHE
WAS DRIVING DRUNK IN
LINCOLN WOODS STATE PARK
WITH 5 KIDS IN HER CAR. TODAY
IN COURT THE WOONSOCKET
WOMAN EXPLAINED TWO OF
THOSE WERE HER FRIEND'S.
OTHER PARENTS FINDING IT
SHOCKING.
That's kind of crazy for it to
be
happening over and over
(EH)
DURAN'S NEXT COURT
DATE IS SCHEDULED FOR
JULY 31. JUST THIS PAST
LEGISLATIVE SESSION A
NEW LAW WAS CREATED
THAT STIFFENS THE
PENALTIES FOR DRIVING
DRUNK WITH KIDS IN THE
CAR.
COMING UP NEW AT 6 WE
LOOK INTO WHAT
PUNISHMENTS DURAN
COULD FACE UNDER THE
NEW LEGISLATION.
LIVE IN WARWICK I'M ERIC
(CG)
NOW AT SIX --
NEW DETAILS ON THE
WOMAN ARRESTED
TWICE ---
IN LESS THAN TWO
WEEKS ---
FOR ALLEGEDLY DRIVING
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
WITH CHILDREN IN HER
VAN!
(MM)
SHE COULD FACE
CHARGES UNDER A
RELATIVELY NEW STATE
LAW.
LEAH DURAN'S FIRST
ARREST HAPPENED
-----TEN DAYS AGO AT
LINCOLN WOODS STATE
PARK --- THIS IS HER
MUGSHOT FROM RHODE
ISLAND STATE POLICE.
(CG)
THIS MORNING, WE
LEARNED DURAN WAS
ARRESTED AGAIN.
THIS TIME --- IN WARWICK.
(MM)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER ERIC
HALPERIN JOINS US LIVE
FROM WARWICK WITH
WHAT HE'S LEARNED.
THE 41-YEAR-OLD MOTHER
OF THREE IS NOW BEING
HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
UNDER OLD STATE LAW
DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE WITH KIDS
UNDER 13 IN THE CAR
CAME WITH AN
ADDITIONAL SENTENCE OF
UP TO A YEAR IN PRISON.
NOW THIS BEHAVIOR
COMES WITH HEAVIER
PUNISHMENTS.
WITH HER HANDS OVER HER
FACE LEAH DURAN FACES A
JUDGE AT KENT COUNTY
COURT FRIDAY MORNING
LISTENING TO WHY HE IS
ORDERING HER HELD WITHOUT
BAIL. SHE WAS ARRESTED IN
WARWICK YESTERDAY ON
OAKLAND BEACH AVE
CHARGED WITH DRIVING
DRUNK WITH KIDS IN THE CAR.
SHE WAS ARRESTED ON
SIMILAR CHARGES JUST 8 DAYS
EARLIER AT LINCOLN WOODS
STATE PARK.
When the second one comes this
quick, this close together i
think i
have to act to protect the
public and
her three children
WARWICK POLICE SAY THEY
SAW HER DRIVING ERRATICALLY
AROUND 4 THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. THEY STOPPED
HER AND EVENTUALLY
ARRESTED HER. INSIDE THE
CAR WITH HER...HER 7 YEAR
OLD, 4 YEAR OLD, AND 7 MONTH
OLD...TROUBLING FOR PARENTS
AT OAKLAND BEACH TO HEAR.
STIRLING PENA'S DAUGHTER IS
3 MONTHS OLD.
It's kind of shocking, it's
unbelievable
PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT
LEGISLATIVE SESSION A
CONVICTION OF A DUI WITH A
CHILD UNDER 13 IN THE CAR
CAME WITH AN ADDITIONAL
SENTENCE OF UP TO A YEAR IN
PRISON. NOW UNDER NEWLY
SIGNED LEGISLATION A FIRST
CONVICTION ALSO COMES WITH
A LICENSE SUSPENSION AND
UP TO A $1000 FINE. ANY
ADDITIONAL CONVICTIONS
BECOME A FELONIES WITH UP
TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON UP TO
$5000 IN FINES AND MORE
PUNISHMENTS. HOWEVER
ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE DURAN IS
NOT SUBJECT TO THE
PENALTIES OF SUBSEQUENT
CONVICTIONS BECAUSE SHE
WAS NOT CONVICTED OF THE
FIRST OFFENSE AT THE TIME OF
THE SECOND.
FROM THE MORE RECENT
ARREST DURAN IS ALSO
FACING CHARGES OF
REFUSAL TO SUBMIT TO A
CHEMICAL TEST AND
OPERATING ON A
SUSPENDED LICENSE.
HER KIDS ARE NOW WITH
DCYF AND HER NEXT
COURT DATE IS
SCHEDULED FOR JULY 31.