Already on probation for DUI, drunk Redding woman crashes with young children in car
REDDING, Calif. — A woman who was already on probation for driving while under the influence was arrested again last night, Friday, June 4th, after being involved in a solo-vehicle, DUI crash in Redding. The alleged drunk driver had her two young children with her when the crash happened on Churn Creek Rd. just north of Palacio Drive, according to officials.
At the time of her arrest, the alleged suspect was driving with a suspended license due to her earlier DUI conviction and did not have an ignition interlock device (IID) installed on her car as required by the terms of her probation.
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City of Redding police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of last night’s accident around 10 p.m. after receiving reports of a solo-vehicle crash, Redding Police Corporal Wes Townsley has since reported. When emergency personnel arrived they found the driver, Annemarie Melena, 25, of Redding, and her two children.
Already on probation for an earlier DUI, Annemarie Melena was arrested again last night after crashing her vehicle with her two children in her car. The children were uninjured in the accident and were later turned over to family members. Redding Police Department photos
Although Melena sustained minor injuries her children did not appear to be injured, but all were evaluated and treated at the scene by paramedics.
During their subsequent investigation, officers learned Melena was driving on Churn Creek Road when she swerved across the opposing lane of traffic and collided with several trees on the west side of the roadway before coming to a stop.
Melena could not explain what led to the crash and investigating officers determined she was under the influence of alcohol and she was subsequently arrested. Her uninjured children were later released to the care of family members.
After receiving medical attention for injuries related to the traffic collision, Melena was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of multiple charges including DUI and child endangerment. Online jail records this morning indicate she remains in custody in lieu of $10,000 bail or bond.
“Melena was on probation for driving while under the influence, her license was suspended and she did not have an ignition interlock device installed on her car as required as required by the terms of her probation,” Townsley said of the alleged drunk driver.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding PD at 530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R037298 and can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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“she did not have an ignition interlock device installed on her car as required as required by the terms of her probation,”
So much for compliance follow-up.
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