Columbus Holiday Makes For A Busy Weekend Of DWI Arrests In Putnam

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Holiday drivers who made bad decisions, both before and after getting behind the wheel, made their presence known, according to the Putnam County sheriff.

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville reported four DWI arrests over the Columbus holiday weekend.

On October 11, around 10:45 p.m., deputies were dispatched to Church Rd. in the area of Kramers Pond Rd. for a rollover vehicle accident. Once on the scene, deputies found a vehicle on its side with live wires down in the area. They were able to remove the female driver, who was the only occupant, through the sunroof and quickly determined that she was under the influence of alcohol. 60-year-old Aura N. Reis, of Yonkers, was arrested and taken to Westchester Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of her injuries. She was issued an appearance ticket for DWI to appear at a future date in the Town of Putnam Valley Court. Reis was also issued traffic tickets for speed not reasonable and prudent, and failure to keep right.

On October 13, around 1:10 a.m., a deputy saw a vehicle traveling southbound on I-684, near the Westchester County line, that was speeding and unable to maintain its lane of traffic. After a traffic stop was made, the driver was determined to be under the influence of alcohol, and multiple open beer cans were found inside the vehicle. 36-year-old Fernando H. Goncalvesribeiro, of Manhattan, was unable to complete the standard field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for aggravated DWI due to his blood alcohol content being greater than .18 percent. He was also issued traffic tickets for drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, speeding, and moving from a lane unsafely. Goncalvesribeiro was issued an appearance ticket to appear at Southeast Court at a future date and was turned over to EMS personnel for evaluation due to his intoxication level.

Also on October 13, around 3:25 a.m., a deputy saw a vehicle driving southbound on Route 22 in the Town of Patterson having trouble maintaining its lane and nearly striking a telephone pole. After a traffic stop on the vehicle was made on Fairfield Drive, the driver was observed to be under the influence of alcohol. After refusing to complete the standard field sobriety tests, 50-year-old Christopher A. O'Brien, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, was arrested and taken to the Putnam County Correctional Facility, where he refused a breathalyzer test. He was held for arraignment for DWI and refusal to take a breath test. O'Brien was also issued traffic tickets for moving from lane unsafely, unsafe turn, driving to left of pavement markings, and uninspected motor vehicle.

Later on October 13, around 4:50 a.m., a deputy saw a vehicle traveling eastbound on Route 6 near Starr Ridge Road having difficulty maintaining its lane of traffic. After a stop was made, the driver was found to be intoxicated after failing field sobriety tests and was arrested for aggravated DWI and taken to the Putnam County Correctional Facility for processing. 32-year-old Leonidas Guallpa, from the Bronx, had been operating the vehicle as a taxi. The passengers were driven by a deputy to a safe location. Guallpa was issued an appearance ticket for the Southeast Town Court and was turned over to EMS personnel for evaluation due to his high level of intoxication. He was also issued traffic tickets for moving from lane unsafely, disobeying a traffic control device, insufficient turn signal, and no plate lamp.