Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alia Juanita Clarke, 26, was arrested early this morning for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol with a child in her car and pushing a woman to the ground.

At about 1:43 a.m. on September 28, Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Harbor Cove Apartments (6815 W. University Avenue), where a caller said there was a fight.

After talking to the involved parties, deputies concluded that Clarke had taken her four-year-old child for a ride around the apartment complex and had been seen driving erratically. Deputies reported that Clarke “parked the vehicle abruptly, almost crashing,” got out of the vehicle, and started arguing with a woman before pushing the woman to the ground. Clarke allegedly got back into her car and tried to drive away, but “was unable” to do so.

Deputies reported that Clarke was standing next to her vehicle when they arrived, and there was substantial damage to the front of the car, indicating that the vehicle had crashed. Clarke was reportedly uncooperative with deputies and was eventually detained after she tried to walk away.

A witness told deputies she saw Clarke driving erratically, leading her to fear that Clarke would hit her with the car.

Deputies reported that a child was in the vehicle, along with an open container of alcohol in the cup holder and an empty small shot bottle under the front passenger seat. A deputy reported that Clarke smelled like alcohol.

Post Miranda, Clarke reportedly said she wanted to answer questions, but a deputy reported that she did not answer any questions and instead kept asking questions that had already been answered by the deputy.

Deputies decided that field sobriety exercises could not be safely conducted because of Clarke’s resistance to complying with basic requests.

At the jail, Clarke reportedly agreed to provide a breath test sample, but the deputy reported that she would not follow instructions and did not provide a sample that could be read by the machine.

Clarke has been charged with DUI with a person under 18 in the vehicle, child neglect without great bodily harm, and battery. Clarke reportedly said she should not be charged with child endangerment because the child in the vehicle was not hers, but the deputy reported that it was her child. She has no criminal convictions, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey ordered her released on her own recognizance.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.