Woman charged with child endangerment after allegedly falling asleep in Warren drive-thru with children in car

WARREN, RI (WLNE) – A woman was arrested on child endangerment charges after she allegedly fell asleep while driving a car with children in the back seat at a drive-thru in Warren while under the influence of alcohol.

On August 14, Warren police responded to a report that they were called to a drive-thru on Metacom Avenue at 6:30 a.m. where they found a woman sleeping behind the wheel of a car.

Police said they observed 37-year-old Kelly Serpa slumped over with an unlit cigarette in her mouth and a cellphone in her hand while the vehicle was still in motion.

In the car with Serpa there was a toddler and a 7-year-old child in the back seat.

According to police, Serpa was lethargic, accidentally dropped or threw her phone, and her speech was slurred.

Serpa was asked to take a breathalyzer test, during which she continued to show signs of impairment, according to police.

Serpa was taken into custody and charged with child endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol with a child under the age of 13, and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

According to police, Serpa was taken to 2nd District Court in Newport, where she was arraigned and released on $5,000 bail.