Lumberton, New Jersey mayor Gina LaPlaca was charged with DUI and child endangerment after allegedly driving drunk with her 2-year-old son in the car on St. Patrick’s Day.
LaPlaca was arrested at her home Monday after admitting she had drank alcohol before picking her son up from day care. An open container of alcohol was also found in the 2019 BMW, according to ABC 6.
A video taken by a witness showed the mayor driving “erratically” and swerving between lanes before “nearly hitting a utility pole” while her son was in the backseat. That motorist provided police with the license plate number, which allowed police to locate LaPlaca quicker.
LaPlaca was charged with reckless driving, child neglect and endangerment, driving under the influence, driving with an expired license and related offenses. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 28, according to ABC 6.
Jason Carty, the mayor’s husband, shared she is getting help in a Facebook post.
“Millions of Americans struggle with addiction and never get help,” he wrote. “Gina LaPlaca is someone who has struggled, and is now getting the help she needs. I ask that everyone keep her in their thoughts as she moves forward on her road to recovery. Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others. This should not erase all the things she has accomplished for our community.”
Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, about 25 miles east of Philadelphia.
LaPlaca was elected to township committee in 2020 and re-elected in 2023 when she was appointed mayor.
LaPlaca resigned as the Neptune Township business administrator — a job she held since January 2022 — earlier this month because of the “changing political environment,” the Asbury Park Press reported.