Cop’s Niece Thinks She’s Above the Law

Around 8:37 PM on July 8, 2024, Patrolman Edward Rilho with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department observed a white 2022 Jeep Compass drive over the sidewalk to exit the parking lot of 13 Parkway. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and driver pulled over in front of 21 Parkway. He exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Emily Castillo-Rivera.

As he was speaking with Emily, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Emily told the officer that her aunt was a police officer in Belleville, New Jersey, and proceeded to call her during the traffic stop. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Emily was eventually asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after additional officers arrived on scene to assist. Her friends repeatedly attempted to interfere during the DWI investigation.

The first exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Emily failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, took an incorrect number of steps, and turned improperly. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Emily failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion. The final exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. Sergeant Hayes was unable to fully administer this test due to Emily’s lack of cooperation.

Based on her erratic driving, her lack of coherence, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Emily was placed under arrest for DWI. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law, while Patrolman Rilho transported Emily to the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department for further processing.

At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to her, and she initially agreed to submit breath samples. However, she ultimately refused to blow into the Alcotest machine after the 20-minute observation period and she was charged with a refusal. After the officers finished processing Emily, she was eventually released to her mother Lissette Rivera pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf.

Patrolman Rilho issued Emily the following traffic tickets:

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

-Consent to take samples of breath (39:4-50.2)

-Reckless driving (39:4-96)

-Careless driving (39:4-97)

-Improper driving on sidewalk (39:4-71)

-Speeding across sidewalk (39:4-100)

-Failure to possess driver registration (39:3-29B)

Court records indicate that on April 29, 2025, Emily was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of her conviction, Emily had to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, and pay a total of $383 in fines. She was also given a suspended sentence of 2 days in jail, while the other 6 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Following this arrest, Emily was later arrested again for drunken driving in Belleville, New Jersey on February 21, 2026. Her DWI case from Belleville is still pending in court as of July 29, 2026.

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