Drunk Woman Slips her Cuffs After DWI Arrest

Around 3:06 AM on April 15, 2024, Officer Joseph Gioia with the Mantoloking Police Department was on patrol on Ocean Avenue and he observed a 2007 Ford Fusion speeding northbound by going 54 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. As followed the vehicle, he observed the driver swerving and failing to stay in the lane. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over on Main Avenue in Bay Head. He notified dispatch about the traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Gigi.

As he approached Gigi, he detected the odor of alcohol. Gigi was asked for her documents, and she provided them without issue. She told Officer Gioia that she had left work in Seaside and that she was headed home. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Gigi was eventually asked to perform field sobriety exercises after Officer Gargaloni arrived on scene to assist.

Officer Gioia started with the recitation of the alphabet, which Gigi did satisfactorily. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Gigi failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete. The third exercise was the Walk and Turn test, and Gigi did not touch heel-to-toe on each step while taking an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and it was performed by Officer Gargaloni, where he observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He did not observe vertical nystagmus.

Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Gigi was placed under arrest. After she was placed under arrest, her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Officer Gioia transported Gigi to the Mantoloking Police Department for further processing. As they approached the station, Gigi slipped out of her handcuffs and they were placed back on her in the sally port. At the station, he read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.085%, which was over the legal limit of 0.08%.

After they were finished processing Gigi, she was released a friend pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Gigi’s behalf. Officer Gioia issued Gigi the following citations: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, speeding, and traffic on marked lanes

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