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Police: 8-Year-Old Girl Dragged By Mother, Erin Garcia Of Laguna Niguel, After Trying To Stop Her From Driving Drunk

PLACENTIA (CBSLA) — A Laguna Niguel mother has been arrested after police say she drunkenly dragged her own daughter and a man who tried to stop her, then assaulted a police officer.

Erin Garcia
(credit: Placentia Police Department)

Erin Garcia, 44, was in custody Friday after being arrested in the 400 block of Orchid Drive. Officers who responded to the scene found Garcia's 8-year-old daughter, who was with her grandmother, suffering from injuries to her legs and feet.

According to police, Garcia was intoxicated and trying to leave her mother's home on Orchid Drive, but her daughter was concerned about her driving while drunk and followed her out to her vehicle. The girl had grabbed the passenger's door handle and told her mother to stop, but Garcia drove away anyway, dragging her child alongside the vehicle for about 300 feet, Placentia police officials said.

A man nearby saw what was happening, and made Garcia stop, so the grandmother tried to get her out of the driver's seat. But Garcia continued driving, dragging the man for a short distance, before driving away, according to Placentia police.

Garcia was later found hiding behind some bushes in the backyard of her mother's home. But as officers tried to take her into custody, she resisted and kicked at officers, police said.

The girl and the man were both taken to a hospital with moderate injuries.

Garcia was booked on suspicion of child endangerment, battery against a peace officer, and assault with a deadly weapon. She is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

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