Man Driving With 3 Children In Car Charged With DUI In Naugatuck: Police

NAUGATUCK, CT — A man accused of driving under the influence with children in his vehicle was arrested Tuesday evening in Naugatuck, according to police.

In a news release posted to Facebook, police said officers conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Waterbury Road stopped a vehicle around 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the American Motor Lodge.

The driver, identified as Lazaro Ramirez, 39, told officers he had no license, registration or insurance, police said.

When officers detected the odor of alcohol and observed signs of possible impairment, Ramirez admitted to consuming three beers on his way home from work, according to police.

Officers found three children, ages 1, 9 and 11 years old, inside the vehicle who were improperly secured in the back seat, police said.

During their investigation, officers found a folded dollar bill containing suspected cocaine residue and multiple empty beer cans throughout the vehicle, police said.

According to police, Ramirez "exhibited numerous indicators of impairment" during standardized field sobriety tests and was arrested.

He was charged with three counts of risk of injury to a minor, as well as operating under the influence, improper use of registration, operating without insurance, operating without a license and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

He was released on a $20,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear in court next month, according to police.

The Department of Children and Families was notified about the incident, police said.

Police also recognized the proactive work of an officer and their attention to detail, which led to the arrest.

"This situation could have had a far more tragic outcome," police said in a news release. "Driving under the influence is always dangerous, but when children are involved and basic safety measures are ignored, the risks increase dramatically. Our officers' commitment to keeping our roads safe and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, especially children, is something we are proud of and deeply grateful for."