Mother arrested for DUI after picking children up from school

FILE - Handcuffs sitting on a table. (Bernd Wüstneck/picture alliance via Getty Image)

A 32-year-old mother is charged with a DUI after authorities said she was intoxicated and had used marijuana while driving her children after school.

The Utah County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to an elementary school Friday afternoon. The school’s staff called after a woman, who appeared to be intoxicated, had arrived to pick up her 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.

Staff said they refused to let the children go with the mother and she went to sit in the car.

Deputies said once they arrived, the children ran from the staff, jumped over the fence, got in the car with the mother and the mother drove away.

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Authorities were able to locate the mother at a nearby gas station and noticed a strong odor of alcohol. They also said she failed a sobriety test and was arrested for DUI. Deputies also learned that the mother had asked a stranger to take one of the children back to school. They were able to locate that child at the school with the staff before releasing the child to another family member.

The unidentified mother was charged with DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a revoked driver's license, no insurance, and a speeding warrant out of Lehi Justice Court.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.