A woman suspected of driving while intoxicated and crashing into another vehicle on Sunday evening has been charged with child abuse after police learned her 10-year-old son was a passenger in the vehicle.
Maria Vielma, 28, of the 3500 block of Tile Avenue, is charged with a third-degree felony count of child abuse. She was also charged with misdemeanor counts of aggravated DWI, driving left of center and operating a motor vehicle with an open container of alcohol.
About 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, Las Cruces police responded to a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of Espina Street and Utah Avenue. Police learned that Vielma was driving a 2008 Ford Taurus south on Espina when her vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into a Honda minivan that was in the northbound lane.
No major injuries were reported but a passenger of the minivan, an 11-year-old boy, was transported to Mountainview Regional Medical Center after he showed signs of nausea at the scene. The 11-year-old boy’s parents were not injured. Vielma’s 10-year-old son also escaped injury.
A responding officer observed Vielma to have bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol. The officer also located an open container of beer on the passenger-side of the Ford Taurus. Vielma indicated she had been drinking alcohol since about noon that day. The officer performed standard field sobriety tests on Vielma which indicated signs of impairment. Vielma was subsequently arrested on the aggravated DWI and child abuse charges.
Vielma was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where she is initially being held without bond.