Background: News footage of Iris Ruiz during her bond hearing on May 11 (WTVJ). Inset: Iris Damaris Ruiz (Miami-Dade County Corrections & Rehabilitation).
A Florida woman found herself in handcuffs on Mother’s Day following a dramatic series of events involving a car crash and allegations of driving under the influence. Authorities reported that Iris Damaris Ruiz, aged 33, was intoxicated when she collided with another vehicle, causing her car to burst into flames with her two children inside.
Ruiz now faces charges that include DUI, two counts of DUI with property damage or injuries, and two counts of child abuse. The incident unfolded on a Sunday in Miami, according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime. The alarming scene caught the attention of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, who was flagged down by a 12-year-old boy desperately waving his arms for help. The boy, who managed to escape the fiery wreckage, was seen carrying his 2-year-old sister to safety.
Upon arrival, police encountered a gray Nissan with extensive front-end damage, emitting smoke. A bystander was attempting to assist Ruiz from the driver’s seat, yet she reportedly resisted leaving the vehicle. The affidavit details how the trooper observed minor injuries on the young boy before urging Ruiz to exit the vehicle, as flames began to engulf the engine. Eventually, she complied, allowing the trooper to extinguish the fire and check on the family’s wellbeing.
In his report, the trooper noted that the family appeared uninjured, but he detected a strong scent of alcohol emanating from Ruiz. Her speech was described as slurred, and her eyes were bloodshot and watery. Despite being questioned about the crash, Ruiz claimed she had no recollection of the events leading up to it. When asked for her driver’s license, she struggled to retrieve it from her wallet, further raising suspicions of her impaired state.
While the trooper did not see any injuries that required immediate medical attention, he wrote in the affidavit that he noticed the smell of alcohol on Ruiz when she spoke. Her speech was allegedly slurred and she had “bloodshot, watery eyes.” The trooper said Ruiz did not remember how the crash happened, and when she was asked to show him her driver’s license, “she was unable to take it out” of her wallet.
The trooper asked Ruiz to participate in a field sobriety test, during which she allegedly showed several signs of intoxication, including beginning to count with “1,000-2.” She then allegedly “repeated numbers instead of counting in sequential order.” A breath test revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.216.
Ruiz was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Correctional Center. According to reporting by local NBC affiliate WTVJ, both children were in the custody of their grandmother.
As WTVJ reported, Ruiz appeared in court on Monday for a bond hearing. She was released to Pretrial Services, and Judge Mindy Glazer ordered her not to have contact with her children. When Ruiz’s public defender asked about supervised visits, Glazer turned her down, saying, “Absolutely not. Let her get clean, and let the dependency judge decide if she’s in a state to be a good mom for her children. It’s a shame and unfortunate.”
Glazer added, “Her Mother’s Day was spent driving drunk with two children in the car, which she could have killed.”
Ruiz’s next court date was scheduled for July 9.