Police: North Merrick Woman Drove Drunk With Child in Car

A North Merrick woman is facing felony charges for driving while intoxicated with a child in her car, state police said.

Kristen Cataldo, 41, was arrested Friday after a state trooper noticed her gray Toyota stopped partially in the right lane on the eastbound side of Ocean Parkway in Babylon at 10:20 p.m.

After instructing Cataldo to pull off the roadway, the trooper smelled a strong odor of alcohol on her Cataldo's breath as well as observing her bloodshot watery eyes and slurred speech, police said.

Cataldo failed sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .16 percent, twice the legal limit. A child under the age of 5 was in the rear seat of the car, police said.

Cataldo is charged with aggravated DWI, endangering the welfare of a child and traffic violations.  She was arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday and is being held on $12,500 cash bail. Cataldo is due back in court on Thursday.