Mom arrested for driving under the influence with two children in the car

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alexandra Hayes Henry, 42, was arrested last night for allegedly driving under the influence with two children under the age of 10 in her vehicle.

At about 8:50 p.m. on August 7, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded after a caller reported that Henry had stumbled out of a bar and had driven away with two children in her vehicle after being told she was in no condition to drive. The caller reportedly followed Henry’s vehicle and provided updates about her “concerning driving pattern.”

The deputy reportedly saw Henry’s vehicle passing the 8300 block of NW 23rd Avenue and pulled in behind the vehicle to observe the driving pattern; the deputy reported that Henry’s vehicle bounced between the left and right lane markers several times, “often randomly slowing down or applying the brakes an unreasonably far distance from the red traffic light.”

After the deputy reportedly saw the vehicle cross a solid yellow line, he conducted a traffic stop in the 4600 block of NW 23rd Avenue.

The deputy reported that when he asked for Henry’s insurance and registration, she repeated her home address several times. The deputy also noted that he could detect a strong odor of alcoholic beverages when he was near her.

The deputy reported that Henry initially refused to perform field sobriety exercises, saying she had a right to speak to her husband, but she eventually allowed the deputy to check her eyes, and he reported that she failed to follow directions multiple times and performed poorly on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test.

After that test, the deputy reported that he informed her that he believed she was under the influence of alcohol and asked if she would like to continue the exercises; she reportedly refused to perform any more exercises.

The deputy arrested Henry, and she reportedly called her husband, who drove to the scene; the deputy reported that her husband asked her how many drinks she’d had, but the deputy could not hear her answer.

Henry allegedly refused consent to perform a breath test, once at the scene and once at the jail.

Henry has been charged with driving under the influence with a person under the age of 18 in the vehicle, refusing a breath test, and child neglect. She has no local criminal history, and Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered her released on her own recognizance.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.