Peekskill Man Faces Felony DWI Charge in Wappinger

A 47-year-old Peekskill man has court date in Wappinger, Dutchess County, later this week after he was arrested for aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra's Law Saturday afternoon.

State police stopped Manuel C. Fernandez, 47, on Route 9, just south of Middlebush Road in the Town of Wappinger, at about 1:10 p.m. Police said Fernandez was driving a 1997 Acura sudan with three children and one adult in the rear seat.

At least one of the children wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time of the stop, according to police.

Police said Fernandez had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and glassy, bloodshot eyes when they interviewed him. Fernandez took and failed several field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test before he was brought back to trooper barracks in Wappinger.

While at the barracks, police said Fernandez took a breath test which showed that he had a blood alcohol level of .14 percent. 

A person is charged with DWI if they have a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. Leandra’s Law makes it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a passenger 15 years of age or younger.

In addition to the DWI, Hernandez was given a ticket for failing to secure a child under 7 in a safety restraint.

Fernandez was released on a $500 cash bail to reappear in court on Oct. 4.