Designated Driver Blows Almost DOUBLE the Limit After DWI Arrest

Around 2:06 AM on April 5, 2026, Officer Anthony Olivera with the Hoboken Police Department observed a silver 2009 Toyota stopped for an extended period of time at the intersection of Bloomfield Street and 3rd Street. The vehicle then turned right and headed north on Bloomfield Street. The driver continued to swerve and nearly struck numerous parked vehicles. He eventually activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop near the intersection of 6th Street and Bloomfield Street. Officer Olivera then exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver, who was eventually identified as 23-year-old Yanira Santillan.

As he was speaking with Yanira, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Yanira told the officer that she was the designated driver, and initially denied consuming any alcohol earlier that evening. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Yanira was eventually asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after Lieutenant Luke Zeszotarski arrived on scene to assist. Despite initially claiming that she did not have any alcohol earlier that evening, she admitted to Lieutenant Zeszotarski that she had consumed 1 beer at The Hoboken Biergarten earlier that evening.

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

Based on the odor of alcohol, her indicators of impairment, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Yanira was placed under arrest for DWI. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. She was then transported to the Hoboken 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. Since their Alcotest machine malfunctioned, she was transported to the North Bergen Police Department for the administration of the Alcotest. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.143%, which was nearly double the legal limit of 0.08%.

Yanira was then transported back to the Hoboken Police Department. After they finished processing Yanira, she was released to her friend Samantha Alexis Escobar pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning on Yanira’s behalf.

Officer Olivera issued Yanira the following tickets:

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

-Obstructing passage of other vehicles (39:4-67)

Court records indicate that on May 5, 2026, Yanira’s was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of her conviction, she had to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center and pay a total of $640 in fines. The other citation was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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