Police officers pull over a car just to see that a 11-year-old boy is driving, next to the boy sits his uncle who is intoxicated. The boy says: “My uncle makes me drive the car because he is afraid to drive, not be arrested for driving drunk.”
The uncle, Genoro, pleads not guilty on suspicion of felony child endangerment and other charges, which includes an infraction for allegedly having an open container of alcohol in the car.
What the police officer notices at the beginning, appears to be a child behind the wheel of the car as he attempts a turn onto Hueneme Road, then watching the driver committing several traffic violations, according to police.
Meanwhile, a police dispatcher receives multiple calls about what looks to others like a juvenile driving with a slumped-over passenger in the front seat.
When police stops the car, the boy initially said his uncle is teaching him to drive. Afterwards, the boy confesses his uncle is way to drunk to drive that the reason why he is driving.
The passenger, Genoro, allegedly reveales to have an unlicensed-driver warrant and allegedly was found to have used methamphetamine several hours earlier while looking after the child, according to police.
Lopez was handcuffed after he exited the vehicle and the officer spotted what appeared to be a firearm between the car door and passenger seat, although the officer later determined it to be an imitation.
Authorities allege Genoro admitted that he let his nephew drive because he did not want to be arrested for drunk driving.
He is being held on $55,000 bail in jail and scheduled to be back in court.
Authorities released the boy to his mother’s custody.
