Candia Woman Accused Of DUI In Hooksett With 5-Year-Old In The Car

HOOKSETT, NH ? A Candia woman is facing aggravated driving under the influence and endangering the welfare of a child charges after Hooksett Police say they received a call about her driving.

The Hooksett Police Department received a call just before noon from a citizen reporting that a woman, believed to be intoxicated, had left a local business and was heading north on Hooksett Road. The caller provided dispatch with a description of the vehicle and its license plate. Hooksett Officer Gardyne quickly located the vehicle in the drive-thru line at the McDonald's restaurant on Hooksett Road.

Police identified the driver as Rebecca Santa, 47, of Candia.

Upon spotting the officer, Santa reportedly grabbed an open bottle of vodka from her center console and attempted to conceal it in her purse, according to police.

Santa showed visible signs of impairment and initially denied drinking, though she later admitted to consuming vodka. Police located an unharmed five-year-old child inside the vehicle.

Santa agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests but stopped participating shortly after beginning, according to the officer.

She was then arrested and transported to the Hooksett Police Department. A breath test administered at the station showed her breath alcohol content (BAC) to be 0.31, nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08, according to Hooksett Police Sargent.

The juvenile passenger was safely released into the custody of a family member at the scene.

Santa is accused of aggravated driving under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, and having an open container of alcohol. She posted the $1,000 cash bail that was set, and she was released. Santa is scheduled to be arraigned on November 13th in the 6th Circuit-Hooksett District Court.