Woman arrested for allegedly driving drunk with baby on lap in Santa Clarita

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A 30-year-old mother is behind bars for allegedly driving under the influence with a 1-year-old girl on her lap in Santa Clarita.

A man saw the woman, later identified as Melissa Mendoza, at a stop light allegedly appearing to be falling asleep with the baby on her lap about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Shirley Miller, the public information officer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Santa Clarita Valley Station.

The man flagged down a deputy and gave him a description of the woman's SUV, Miller said. The deputy found a vehicle matching that description at a traffic light near Whites Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road, where the
driver allegedly appeared to be falling asleep again, according to Miller.

Mendoza was pulled over, and deputies saw that in addition to the infant on her lap, there was also a 5-year-old girl in the back seat without a seat belt, Miller said.

Preliminary breath alcohol tests were conducted a few times in the field, which all came back about .30, more than three times the legal limit, Miller said.

Mendoza was arrested for felony child endangerment likely to cause great bodily injury and misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to
Miller.

Mendoza is being held on $200,000 bail.