SOBER 18-Year-Old Girl Arrested for DWI by Verona Police

Around 12:42 AM on September 14, 2025, Officer Shane Daly with the Verona Police Department observed a white 2021 Toyota Corolla pass a vehicle in the right-turn lane on Pompton Avenue before continuing south onto Mount Prospect Avenue. Officer Daly activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over the vicinity of Mt. Prospect Avenue and Sunset Avenue. After the driver pulled over, Officer Daly exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 18-year-old Maricela Siri-Umana.

As he was speaking with Maricela, Officer Daly observed 2 open containers of “Cutwater” inside the vehicle, and he suspected that the driver may be impaired. Maricela told the officer that she had consumed those drinks about 3 hours prior, but denied being under the influence at the moment. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Maricela was eventually asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after Sergeant Robert Maguire arrived on scene.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Maricela failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and she failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and did not count in the correct sequence.

Based on her traffic infractions, the open containers of alcohol inside her vehicle, and her performance on the field sobriety exercises, Maricela was placed under arrest for DWI. As she was being placed under arrest, Maricela insisted that she was not drunk. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law, while Officer Frank O’Neill transported Maricela to the neighboring Cedar Grove Police Department for further processing.

At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to her, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.00%, which indicated that she was completely sober. After they finished processing Maricela, she was released to her sister pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Maricela’s behalf.

Sergeant Notte issued Maricela the following traffic tickets:

-Operating under the influence (39:4-50)

-Reckless driving (39:4-96)

-Careless driving (39:4-97)

-Improper turn at a traffic control signal (39:4-115)

-Open container (39:4-51B)

As of December 17, 2025, Mariela’s case is still pending before the Verona Township Municipal Court.

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