Queens man arrested, charged with DWI under Leandra's Law, other traffic violations

A Queens man was arrested Sunday night and charged with felony driving while intoxicated under Leandra's Law after Nassau County police said officers responding to a traffic accident in a Valley Stream supermarket parking lot found him drunk with his 12-year-old nephew and another adult in the car.

Christian Moliere, 36, of Cambria Heights, was charged with aggravated DWI, as well as with endangering the welfare of a child, DWI and vehicle and traffic law violations, police said. He faces arraignment Monday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Police said Moliere was driving a black Lexus GS300 when he was involved in a collision in the King Kullen parking lot at 231 West Merrick Rd. at 7:55 p.m. Officers said "the defendant emitted the odor of alcohol on his breath" and "had slurred speech and glassy eyes." He was arrested at the scene without incident, police said.

Police did not release the identity of the second adult or the nephew, but said the juvenile was released to his mother.

There were no reported injuries.

Leandra's Law is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed when the car she and six other girls attending a sleepover party overturned and crashed on the Henry Hudson Parkway in October 2009. The law makes it a felony, even on first offense, to drive while intoxicated with a child under age 16 in the vehicle.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

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.”