State police say a 27-year-old New York City man was arrested on the shoulder of Interstate 684 in Lewisboro after troopers found his Jeep parked with a 1-year-old child inside early on June 28.
The driver, identified by state police as Yordi Silverio Marte Brito, was taken to the Somers barracks, where a chemical breath test later recorded a blood-alcohol content of 0.08%. He faces aggravated DWI charges under Leandra’s Law, along with standard DWI counts, and was issued tickets to appear in Lewisboro Town Court on July 20.
According to New York State Police, troopers from Somers were conducting a welfare check at about 4:35 a.m. when they encountered the parked Jeep and administered standardized field sobriety tests. Marte Brito was taken into custody and processed at the Somers barracks, where the 0.08% BAC result was recorded.
State police say the 1-year-old child in the vehicle was released to a sober third party. Marte Brito was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger (Leandra’s Law), Driving While Intoxicated with a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.08% or More, and Driving While Intoxicated.
Once state police posted notice of the arrest, local media quickly followed. As reported by Daily Voice on July 6, the outlet echoed the details from the agency’s release, used the police photo credit, and highlighted the July 20 court date on the tickets issued to the driver.
Leandra’s Law and what it means
Leandra’s Law, enacted in 2009 after the death of 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, makes driving while intoxicated with a child 15 or younger in the vehicle a class E felony and requires ignition interlock devices for many DWI convictions. Per the NY DMV, courts must order ignition interlock devices and other conditions as part of sentencing for aggravated DWI involving a child.
Legal next steps and penalties
New York’s criminal-justice guidelines classify a Leandra’s Law charge as a class E felony that can bring prison time, fines, and mandatory probationary conditions, including a requirement for an ignition interlock device on any vehicle the driver owns or operates. The Division of Criminal Justice Services also notes that a BAC of 0.08% triggers administrative actions such as the prompt suspension of driving privileges while criminal proceedings move forward.
Troopers have made similar Leandra’s Law arrests in the region in recent months, with nearby cases covered by local outlets such as Patch. Marte Brito is scheduled to appear in Lewisboro Town Court on July 20, when prosecutors will determine whether to pursue the felony charge further.
