New Jersey mayor Gina LaPlaca charged with DUI after driving son, 2, home on St. Patrick’s Day

New Jersey mayor Gina LaPlaca arrested and charged with DUI after driving son, 2, home from daycare on St. Patrick’s Day

The Democrat was filmed by a witness driving her 2019 BMW “erratically” as her toddler sat in the rear car seat, according to charging documents obtained by WPVI. In the video, LaPlaca was seen swerving across lanes and “nearly hitting a utility pole.”

After the police tracked her vehicle, they found LaPlaca at her home, where she was arrested at around 6:00 pm. As the mayor confessed to the police she was driving drunk, they found an open container of alcohol in the car, according to the report.

In addition to DUI, LaPlaca was also charged with reckless driving and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents, per New York Post. After she was released, she was given a summons to appear in court on April 28.

LaPlaca’s arrest came after she resigned as business administrator for Neptune Township on March 10 due to “the changing political environment,” according to Ashbury Park Press. She was elected to the Lumberton Township Committee in 2020 and was reelected in 2023.

Following her arrest, LaPlaca’s husband, Jason Carty, issued a statement on Facebook, revealing that she has struggled with addiction and is now getting the help she needs.

“Millions of Americans struggle with addiction and never get help. Gina LaPlaca is someone who has struggled, and is now getting the help she needs,” Carty wrote on Tuesday, March 18.

“I ask that everyone keep her in their thoughts as she moves forward on her road to recovery. Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others. This should not erase all the things she has accomplished for our community,” Carty added.