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DUI Suspect Drives 127 mph With 3 Kids in Car

By Andrew Lu on April 01, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Florida man is facing DUI and reckless driving charges after police say drove 127 mph in the Florida Keys. When police stopped him, they discovered that he had three small children in the car.

Police have charged Robert Rioseco, 46, with three counts of driving under the influence, DUI with someone under 18 in the car, three counts of cruelty toward a child, and one count of reckless driving, reports Miami's WTVJ-TV.

Rioseco was first clocked at 87 mph in a 55 mph zone. Rioseco reportedly quickly reached 127 mph by the time officers stopped him.

Authorities say Rioseco seemed impaired, smelled of alcohol, and otherwise acted drunk when he got out of his car, reports WTVJ. He was then taken to jail where he apparently had trouble walking and loudly refused to take sobriety tests. The children in his car were turned over to their mother.

Besides being in trouble with the children's mother (reports do not say how Rioseco is related to the children), Rioseco now faces very serious criminal penalties.

A DUI charge is serious enough; however, in many jurisdictions a drunken driver caught with a minor in the car can face aggravated charges or enhanced penalties. This can include increased jail time, higher fines, and longer license suspensions simply for having a child in the car.

In addition, given the speed at which Rioseco was driving, he is now in the rare position in which he faces DUI charges along with child cruelty charges.

While it is fortunate that Rioseco did not get into an accident and the children were unharmed, he allegedly placed the three children in a situation in which the chances of serious injury and death were greatly increased. As a result, he could potentially lose any children in his custody along with the criminal penalties.

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