Concord Felon Accused Of Aggravated DUI, Child Endangerment, Other Charges After Incident On The Heights

CONCORD, NH — A woman was arrested on impaired driving and other charges after an incident on the Concord Heights last month.

Around 10:15 p.m. on Feb. 21, police were sent to the Walmart on Loudon Road in response to a report of a shoplifter. An asset protection employee told dispatch that a woman had shoplifted items from the store, provided a description, and said she was in the parking lot.

When the first officer arrived, they found the vehicle, an Audi A3, with its engine running, but the New Hampshire registration came back as sold on a 1998 Toyota 4Runner owned by a New Hampshire woman with an extensive criminal history, according to an affidavit. A check of the VIN came back as being owned by another person with an extensive criminal history, the report said. The vehicle’s registration was also suspended, the officer wrote.

The reporting officer saw a woman in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. She was identified as Jennifer M. Karl, 43, a homeless woman now located in Concord.

The officer said Karl did not match the suspect’s description in the shoplifting incident. But the officer accused her of having “glossy” eyes, “was talking fast,” and “could not remain still,” so they started a potential impaired driving investigation.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and Concord District Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

When asked what she was doing, she said she was waiting for a man who was shopping in the store, the report said. When asked about the shoplifting incident, she denied being involved, the officer wrote. A child was in the rear seat of the vehicle, and they appeared to be OK, the officer said. During the interview with the woman, where she said she was between homes, the officer said she appeared to be impaired, but she denied it, the affidavit said.

Karl agreed to field sobriety tests, and after, the officer accused her of failing them and she was arrested, the report said. She was charged with aggravated driving under the influence-passenger under 16, DUI, license required-penalty, endangering the welfare of a child, driving after revocation or suspension, and breach of bail. The vehicle was also towed from the scene.

During the booking process, Karl agreed to give blood, and the officer learned she was out on bail after being arrested on Jan. 3, so the breach was added. The officer also found her driving was suspended based on a failure to pay a court fine in September 2021, and her license expired in June 2021, the report stated.

When questioned about the child, Karl said their biological parents lived in Georgia, and she had temporary custody of them, which ended Feb. 13. DCYF came and took custody of the child since they were not able to reach another family member.

On Feb. 23, Judge Ryan Guptill found probable cause to move forward with the case. Karl was granted a public defender and arraigned via video.

Karl had a court hearing in Concord District Court on March 23.

According to posts on Patch, Karl, formerly of Belmont and Laconia, has been previously charged with driving after revocation or suspension, operating without a valid license, unauthorized use, willful concealment, theft, and possession of meth, fentanyl, and MDMA. Karl is a felon due to prior charges, including felony drug possession out of Manchester in January 2011. She has also faced drug charges in Concord in 2017, a drug and a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon charge out of Bow in 2017, and a theft charge in Concord in 2017.

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