Hopkins County, TX – July 10, 2020 – A Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper arrested a 40-year-old Dallas woman accused of driving while intoxicated with child passengers Thursday night, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County 911 dispatchers had received texts July 9, 2020 alleging the driver of an SUV to be “extremely intoxicated, swerving, driving over the line” and that she had been observed consuming more than half of a bottle of whiskey, DPS Trooper Rebekah Saathoff alleged in arrest reports.
When Saathoff asked the female passenger why Carla Amanda Renee Moore was driving, the passenger claimed Moore was traveling from the lake to town to purchase swimming toys for her children. Wanting to protect the 4-year-old and 5-year-old children in the back seat of the SUV but unsure what to do, the female said she got in the car with Moore and alerted law enforcement of their location, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.
A Hopkins County sheriff’s deputy reported stopping the SUV on State Highway 11 east for speeding in front of Como-Pickton school. The SUV was occupied by Moore, the female passenger and two children. The deputy contacted the on-duty trooper, advising of the traffic stop involving a suspected felony DWI due to the presence of children.
Saathoff alleged Moore to be very argumentative when speaking with her; the Dallas woman also allegedly had bloodshot, glassy eyes, trouble balancing and the trooper smelled alcohol on the woman’s breath from within 3 feet of her. When asked if she’d had anything to drink Moore allegedly admitted she’d started drinking about an hour before, but wasn’t sure of the current time when asked. She claimed to have only consumed one shot and stated she was not drunk, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.
The trooper advised due to the circumstances, she would be conducting standard field sobriety tests. Saathoff alleged the woman showed six of six clues on horizontal gaze nystagmus tests.
Saathoff alleged that when she tried to explain instructions for standardized field sobriety tests, Moore became “increasingly agitated and belligerent” and wouldn’t allow the trooper to explain the instructions to her. The trooper reported she then attempted to demonstrate the test and asked Moore if she understood, the woman stated, “I guess,” so the trooper continued to explain it to Moore until she finally said she understood.
The trooper reported that before she started the test, Moore told her she had been hit by a drunk driver several years ago and had rods in her leg. The trooper advised the woman to appear to be walking adequately enough to complete a walk and turn test as requested. The woman could not balance while being instructed, started too soon, didn’t touch her heel to her toe, used her arms for balance, took the wrong number of steps.
Saathoff reported she then explained to Moore how to perform the one-legged stand. Only one of Moore’s legs was reported to have been affected by the previous injury so the trooper told her she could choose which leg to use for the test. The woman allegedly swayed while balancing using her arms, hopping and putting her foot down.
When told she was going to jail for driving while intoxicated with a chld younger than 15 years of age in the vehicle, Moore allegedly became argumentative and belligerent, and continued to go back to her vehicle. Saathoff told Moore that, for the her safety on the highway she was placing her into handcuffs and in the trooper’s vehicle, but that she’d get whatever she needed out of her car for her, the trooper alleged in arrest reports.
Moore was taken into custody at 9:30 p.m. July 9. The woman’s children were “placed with an appropriate family member” and the passenger was transported to her residence, according to arrest reports.
The woman allegedly became increasingly agitated, asked for a cigarette and continued interrupting Saathoff when the trooper attempted to advise her of standard procedure regarding paperwork. A few sentences into reading the required information to the woman, Moore allegedly began to seize up and appeared to the trooper be having a seizure. The trooper alleged she and the deputy gently put the woman on the ground in a support position and took the handcuffs off of Moore.
Moore was reportedly transported to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs. Moore allegedly attempted to leave the hospital, was safely recovered and booked into jail at 1:30 a.m. July 10 on a driving while intoxicated with child passengers charge, according to arrest reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
