Holtsville Woman Drove Drunk With 5-Year-Old Daughter in Car: Police

LAKE RONKONKOMA, NY- A Holtsville woman faces a felony DWI charge after police say she drove drunk with her 5-year-old daughter in her car on Saturday afternoon.

According to police, Fourth Precinct patrol officers responded to a call about an intoxicated driver of a gray Nissan Frontier on Hawkins Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma at about 4:50 p.m.

The caller followed the vehicle and informed police that the driver pulled into the parking lot of the Stop & Shop supermarket located at 425 Portion Road.

Patrol officers located the vehicle and soon after, the driver, 30-year-old Justine Connors, returned to her vehicle, police said.

Upon investigation, it was determined that Connors had been driving while under the influence and had her 5-year-old daughter in the car at the time, police said.

Connors, of 706 Union Avenue, was arrested and charged with aggravated DWI with a child 15 years old or younger–a felony under Leandra’s Law–endangering the welfare of a child, third degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and second degree criminal contempt for violating an order of protection prohibiting Connors from being under the influence in the presence of her daughter, police said.

Connors was also charged with petty larceny for stealing merchandise from Stop & Shop, police said.

Connors was being held at the Fourth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned Sunday at First District Court in Central Islip. Her daughter was released to another family member.

The investigation is continuing and detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the Fourth Squad at 854-8452.