Cateria Thomas: Florida Mother Arrested For Breastfeeding While Driving Drunk


A sheriff’s deputy in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, pulled over 33-year-old Cateria Thomas after noticing that her car had expired registration tags, and there was an unbuckled child roaming around in the back seat. WOFL Fox 35 Orlando is reporting that when the deputy approached Thomas’ vehicle, she was breastfeeding a two-month-old child.

But that wasn’t the only thing the deputy noticed when he pulled over Cateria Thomas. The police report also indicates that she smelled of alcohol, and there was a full gas can in the passenger seat, according to WKMG Local 6. After refusing a breathalyzer test, Thomas was then administered a sobriety test, which she failed. Thomas told the deputy that she had not been drinking, but she did eat “four hamburgers with whiskey on them.”

Cateria Thomas was arrested on numerous counts, including driving under the influence, having an invalid license, and child endangerment. She was placed into the Volusa County jail Tuesday night and is reportedly still being held there.

At the time of her arrest, Thomas had a two-month-old, a one-year-old, a three-year-old, and a four-year-old all in the vehicle. The children will reportedly be placed under the care of a family member for the time being.

Sylvia Dabbs, a neighbor, told WKMG Local 6 that what Cateria Thomas did was “not right.”

“That’s not a mother.”

Thomas’ family had refused to speak to media, but Dabbs mentioned that she had heard about the incident via the grandmother of the children.

“She came over here and talked to us and said that [Thomas] had drove drunk last night with the baby and was breastfeeding and all the four kids got taken away this afternoon.”

The Florida Department of Children and Families issued a statement, via Local 10, in regards to Cateria Thomas’ arrest.

“We are very concerned about this incident. This is very alarming that you would have someone trying to breastfeed their child while driving and especially while driving drunk. Seldom, do we see this type of incident taking place. The safety of our children is our top concern.”

Cateria Thomas is not the first person this year to be arrested for driving under the influence while having children in the vehicle. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Mary Coletti crashed a school bus containing 35 students into a telephone in New York. Coletti had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 upon her arrest. George Stone, the superintendent of Lakeland School District where Coletti was employed, said she has had her bus driver’s license revoked.

[Image via Local 10]

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