Miami, Florida — A Florida mother is facing multiple criminal charges after police say she drove drunk on Mother’s Day and crashed her vehicle with her two young children inside, forcing her 12-year-old son to seek help while carrying his toddler sister away from the wreck.
The frightening incident unfolded Sunday in Miami, Florida, where authorities say the crash scene quickly turned dangerous after the damaged vehicle began smoking and catching fire.
Child Reportedly Flagged Down Trooper for Help
According to an arrest affidavit, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrived at the crash site after spotting a young boy desperately trying to get attention.
The trooper stated the 12-year-old boy was “waving his arms” while carrying a 2-year-old girl in his arms.
Authorities discovered a heavily damaged gray Nissan at the scene with smoke coming from the vehicle. Investigators said the car had sustained major front-end damage.
A witness was reportedly attempting to help the driver, identified as 33-year-old Iris Damaris Ruiz, out of the car. However, police said “she was refusing to get out.”
Vehicle Reportedly Caught Fire After Crash
The situation escalated further when officers noticed the engine area had caught fire.
According to the affidavit, the responding trooper warned Ruiz that she needed to exit the vehicle immediately because flames had started inside the engine compartment.
Only then did Ruiz reportedly get out of the car. The trooper later used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze before checking on the children and others involved.
Authorities said the children suffered only minor injuries and did not require emergency medical treatment.
Police Say Mother Showed Signs of Intoxication
While speaking with Ruiz, the trooper allegedly detected a strong smell of alcohol.
Investigators claimed her speech was slurred and that she had “bloodshot, watery eyes.” Police also said Ruiz appeared confused and reportedly could not remember how the crash happened.
When asked for her driver’s license, officers alleged “she was unable to take it out” of her wallet.
Ruiz was later asked to perform field sobriety exercises, during which police say she showed multiple signs of impairment.
According to the affidavit, she allegedly started counting with “1,000-2” and later “repeated numbers instead of counting in sequential order.”
A breath test reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.216, which is nearly three times the legal limit.
Judge Issues Strong Warning in Court
Ruiz was arrested and charged with:
- DUI
- Two counts of DUI with property damage and/or injuries
- Two counts of child abuse
She was booked into the Turner Guilford Correctional Center before appearing in court Monday for a bond hearing.
According to reports, both children were later placed in the custody of their grandmother.
During the hearing, Judge Mindy Glazer strongly criticized the alleged behavior and denied requests for supervised contact with the children.
“Absolutely not. Let her get clean, and let the dependency judge decide if she’s in a state to be a good mom for her children. It’s a shame and unfortunate.”
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Glazer also stated, “Her Mother’s Day was spent driving drunk with two children in the car, which she could have killed.”
Court Case Still Ongoing
Ruiz was later released to Pretrial Services under court supervision. However, the judge ordered that she have no contact with her children while the case moves forward.
Her next scheduled court appearance is set for July 9.
The case has sparked outrage online, with many people praising the 12-year-old boy for helping protect his younger sister during the terrifying ordeal.
What are your thoughts on this shocking Mother’s Day DUI case? Share your opinion respectfully in the comments below.
