A Miami woman’s Mother’s Day ended in handcuffs after authorities say she crashed her car with her two young children inside while heavily intoxicated. Iris Damaris Ruiz, 33, now faces a string of serious charges, including child abuse and driving under the influence, following the fiery wreck this past Sunday.
The incident unfolded when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrived at a crash site to find a 12-year-old boy frantically waving for help. The boy was carrying a 2-year-old girl away from a gray Nissan that was smoking from heavy front-end damage.
While a witness attempted to pull Ruiz from the driver’s seat, an arrest affidavit notes that she initially refused to leave the vehicle.
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The situation turned critical as a fire broke out in the engine compartment. Ruiz only exited the car after the trooper warned her of the growing flames. Once the fire was extinguished, the trooper noted that while the children escaped major injury, Ruiz showed immediate signs of impairment.
According to the report, she smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and was unable to physically retrieve her license from her wallet.
Investigation into the crash revealed further details regarding Ruiz’s state. During a field sobriety test, she reportedly struggled to count in order, and a subsequent breathalyzer test recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.216—nearly three times the legal limit in Florida.
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Ruiz appeared before Judge Mindy Glazer on Monday for a bond hearing. During the proceedings, the court heard that both children had been placed in the care of their grandmother. Judge Glazer issued a strict no-contact order, denying a request from the public defender for supervised visits.
“Absolutely not,” Glazer stated during the hearing. “Let her get clean, and let the dependency judge decide if she’s in a state to be a good mom for her children. It’s a shame and unfortunate. Her Mother’s Day was spent driving drunk with two children in the car, which she could have killed.”
Ruiz was released to Pretrial Services and is scheduled to return to court on July 9.
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