Therapist Arrested for DWI After a 'Bad Night' With her Cheating Boyfriend

Around 2:51 AM on September 2, 2024, Officer Steven DeJesus with the Township of Union Police Department observed a white 2023 Hyundai sedan that appeared to be disabled on Morris Avenue near the intersection with Stuyvesant Avenue. He initiated a traffic stop observed vomit outside the vehicle as he approached the driver. He initiated contact with the driver, and she was identified as Fiorella.

As Officer DeJesus was speaking with Fiorella, he observed indicators of impairment. Fiorella told the officer that she was having a bad night because her boyfriend was cheating on her. She also admitted to consuming alcohol at Kanela’s, which is a club in Elizabeth, New Jersey. When Officer DeJesus asked for her license, Fiorella was unable to provide the officer with all the required documentation. Officer DeJesus radioed for backup, and based on his suspicion of impairment, Fiorella was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

Officer DeJesus started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Fiorella failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and turned improperly. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Fiorella failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on her indicators of impairment and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Fiorella was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed under arrest, her vehicle was impounded by for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. She was escorted to the patrol car and a search of her vehicle incident to arrest revealed the presence of an open container as well as a bottle of pills. Fiorella was then transported to the Township of Union Police Department for further processing.

At the Township of Union Police Department, Fiorella was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.07%. Officer DeJesus issued Fiorella the following traffic citations: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to possess driver license, failure to possess driver registration, failure to possess driver insurance card, and open container

Fiorella was also issued a summons for possession under 2C:35-24 based on the pills that the officers found inside her vehicle.

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