8-year-old calls 911, says dad is driving drunk while she’s in car, Florida cops say

A dad celebrating Father’s Day with his 8-year-old daughter was arrested at her behest after she reported he was ”intoxicated” and driving her around, according to police in Florida.

The unusual 911 call came just after 11 p.m. Sunday, June 16, Cape Coral police reported in a news release. Cape Coral is about a 130-mile drive south of Tampa.

“The caller was an 8-year-old who said she was in her father’s car and he had been drinking. The child said her father parked the car at this location and is now sleeping,” police said in a June 17 news release.

“Officers arrived to find the male driver ... sleeping. The car was running and the child was crying in the back seat.”

The 36-year-old man was awakened and told officers he was aware his daughter had called 911, police said. Officers noted the driver spoke with slurred speech, smelled of alcohol and had “difficulty balancing.”

He was arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol with a minor in the vehicle. The suspect was released on a $2,500 bond, records show.

“Officers comforted the child and gave her teddy bears to bring home. The child was safely released to another family member,” police said.

The arrest happened in a residential neighborhood about 7 miles southwest of the man’s home in Cape Coral, jail records show.

This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 4:25 AM with the headline "8-year-old calls 911, says dad is driving drunk while she’s in car, Florida cops say."