Cops: Man drove drunk with child in East Farmingdale
A Queens man was arrested and charged with drunk driving under Leandra’s Law after being stopped early Sunday by State police on Route 109 in East Farmingdale.
Police said Damien Farrell, 35, was arrested following the stop on northbound Route 109 at about 2:45 a.m. and was charged under Leandra’s Law because he had a child in his vehicle — though police did not immediately disclose any information regarding the age of that child or any relationship to Farrell. Police also did not disclose the nature of the traffic stop.
Farrell was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s Law and with endangering the welfare of a child.
He is scheduled for arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on Sept. 11.
Leandra’s Law is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was attending a sleepover party when she was killed in an accident on the Henry Hudson Parkway in October 2009. Six other girls in the car, driven by a drunk driver, were injured. The driver, Carmen Huertas, later pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 4-12 years in prison. The law, enacted in November 2009, makes it a felony, even on first offense, to drive drunk with a child under age 16 in the vehicle.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
