A Huntington man is facing aggravated DWI charges after he and the mother of his child were arrested for allegedly smoking marijuana inside a car in which the child was a passenger, Suffolk County police said.
Paul Rice, 21, was driving a 2004 Mitsubishi south on Park Avenue when he was pulled over Friday around 3:40 p.m. for failing to use his turn signal, police said. The officer spotted a burning marijuana cigarette in the center console and noticed a “strong smell of burning marijuana within the vehicle,” police said in a news release.
Also in the car was 21-year-old Alyssa Moore and their 2-year-old son, police said.
“Further investigation revealed that Moore and Rice had been smoking marijuana while traveling in the car,” police said.
Rice was charged under Leandra’s Law, which is aggravated DWI with a child passenger 15 years old or younger. He was also charged with DWI drugs, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of marijuana.
Moore was charged with criminal possession of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a child.
The child was released to relatives, police said.
Rice and Moore will be arraigned Saturday at First District Court in Central Islip.
