Mayor Indicted For Child Abuse After Drunk Driving Incident In Burlington Co.: Prosecutor

LUMBERTON, NJ — A Burlington County mayor accused of driving her child home from daycare while drunk was indicted on charges of child endangerment and abuse, authorities said.

In March, a witness sent video to Lumberton police of a driver swerving in and out of their lane multiple times and almost hitting a pole, according to court documents. Police say they found the car at Lumberton Mayor Gina LaPlaca's home and identified her as the driver.

LaPlaca admitted to drinking and said she was picking up a child from daycare, according to an affidavit. An open container of an alcoholic beverage was found in her vehicle, police said.

• Read more: Mayor Drove Intoxicated With Child In Burlington Co.: Court Docs

Police took the mayor into custody after the incident and released her with charges on a summons.

On Nov. 20, a grand jury returned an indictment charging her with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree child abuse.

She is also facing several traffic violations, including reckless driving, driving with an expired license and operating under the influence of alcohol.

LaPlaca's defense attorney, Robert M. Perry, declined comment. LaPlaca hasn't responded to Patch's request for comment as of this writing.

The Democratic officeholder is part of Lumberton's Township Committee, which elects one of its members as mayor at the beginning of each calendar year. Her mayoral term expires at the end of the month, while her elected term on the committee runs through 2026.

After her arrest, Gov. Phil Murphy and LaPlaca's fellow committee members called for her to step down.

She took a temporary break from the committee to undergo 54 days of inpatient rehab before returning in May and sharing her struggles with addiction.

"While the laws of this state and this country protect those individuals who seek treatment for addiction from being disciplined, demoted, or fired from their place of work, sadly the attitudes of many in our society have not kept up with the letter of the law," LaPlaca said during her first committee meeting back.

"As a result, far too many suffer in silence, and do not seek the help they need for fear of the judgment, stigma, and disdain of their peers," she continued. "Isolation and shame are the food of addiction, and the fuel of relapse."

LaPlaca is set to return to court Monday for a post-indictment arraignment.