State troopers say a late night traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Rye ended with a Stamford man under arrest and two children in the back seat of his SUV.
According to investigators, the SUV was heading north on I-95 in the early morning hours of March 29 when troopers pulled it over in Rye. The driver allegedly showed signs of intoxication, failed field sobriety tests at the scene and later registered positive on a preliminary breath test. With two children under 16 in the vehicle, troopers charged him with driving while intoxicated along with two counts of aggravated DWI under Leandra’s Law.
As reported by Daily Voice, troopers stopped a 2026 Honda CR-V around 3:30 a.m. for traffic violations and issued traffic tickets. The driver was identified as 37-year-old Leopoldo Lima Flores of Stamford. He was taken to the State Police barracks in New Rochelle for processing, then released to his wife, and the children were turned over to her care. Flores is scheduled to appear in Rye City Court on April 24.
What Leandra's Law Means
Leandra’s Law, enacted in 2009 and named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, makes a DWI charge an automatic felony when a child is in the vehicle and expands ignition interlock requirements for offenders, according to the New York State Senate. The law also increases penalties if a child passenger is seriously injured or killed and has been used in DWI prosecutions across the state.
Enforcement On I-95
Troopers from the SP New Rochelle barracks routinely patrol I-95 and have brought a number of aggravated DWI cases under Leandra’s Law. In one example, a traffic stop in Rye on April 20, 2025 resulted in multiple counts tied to child passengers, according to a New York State Police news release. Incidents like these highlight a steady enforcement presence on the Westchester stretch of the highway that focuses on impaired drivers traveling with children.
Flores was issued traffic tickets and the case is pending in Rye City Court on April 24, per Daily Voice. Local prosecutors are expected to review the charges as the matter moves through the courts.
