A 40-year-old St. Petersburg woman is facing a child abuse charge and her third DUI count after police say she crashed into a ditch in Pinellas Park early Tuesday morning with an 11-year-old girl riding along. Officers say Laura Kasica then tried to drive off once a tow truck had pulled her vehicle free, but police stopped her before she could leave the scene.
According to Tampa Bay 28, the crash happened near 47th Street North and 62nd Avenue North at about 6:06 a.m., according to a police report. Officers who responded said Kasica showed signs of impairment, and she was arrested by the Pinellas Park Police Department on a DUI charge described in the report as her third offense.
Investigators say the 11-year-old girl in the car told officers she had seen Kasica drinking, and the child then showed police where Kasica had hidden a container of alcohol.
Booked Without Bond
Kasica was booked into the Pinellas County Jail without bond, per the same account. She was also charged with child abuse in connection with the incident.
Florida law defines child abuse broadly. Under Florida Statutes section 827.03, the offense can include intentional infliction of physical or mental injury on a child, an act reasonably expected to cause such injury, or active encouragement of such an act. The statute classifies child abuse that does not cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement as a third-degree felony, though the statute's general language does not establish how, or whether, it applies to the facts of Kasica's case.
What a Third DUI Offense Can Mean Under Florida Law
Florida's DUI statute also carries added weight for repeat offenders. Florida Statutes section 316.193 classifies a third DUI violation as a third-degree felony when it occurs within 10 years of a prior conviction, and separately allows for enhanced penalties when someone under 18 is in the vehicle at the time of the offense. Tampa Bay 28's report describes a third-offense DUI charge against Kasica but does not specify the dates of any prior convictions or confirm whether those statutory conditions are met in her case.
No court records on the filed charges, Kasica's plea, or the case's status were available at the time of the report. The circumstances surrounding the child's wellbeing following the crash also remain unaddressed in the police account reviewed by the outlet.
