By our staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On a troubling evening, 42-year-old Alexandra Hayes Henry found herself in handcuffs, facing allegations of driving while intoxicated with two children, both under ten, sitting in her car.
The incident unfolded around 8:50 p.m. on August 7 when a concerned caller alerted an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy. They claimed Henry staggered out of a local bar and drove off, despite being clearly unfit to take the wheel. The caller decided to shadow the vehicle, relaying real-time updates on her erratic driving to authorities.
A deputy, joining the pursuit near the 8300 block of NW 23rd Avenue, witnessed Henry’s vehicle weave between lanes. The report highlighted how she sporadically slowed down or braked multiple car lengths ahead of a red light, enhancing concerns about her impaired state.
The officer decided to intervene after observing the car cross a solid yellow line. A traffic stop was initiated, bringing the vehicle to a halt in the 4600 block of NW 23rd Avenue, marking the end of Henry’s dangerous and erratic journey.
The deputy reported that when he asked for Henry’s insurance and registration, she repeated her home address several times. The deputy also noted that he could detect a strong odor of alcoholic beverages when he was near her.
The deputy reported that Henry initially refused to perform field sobriety exercises, saying she had a right to speak to her husband, but she eventually allowed the deputy to check her eyes, and he reported that she failed to follow directions multiple times and performed poorly on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test.
After that test, the deputy reported that he informed her that he believed she was under the influence of alcohol and asked if she would like to continue the exercises; she reportedly refused to perform any more exercises.
The deputy arrested Henry, and she reportedly called her husband, who drove to the scene; the deputy reported that her husband asked her how many drinks she’d had, but the deputy could not hear her answer.
Henry allegedly refused consent to perform a breath test, once at the scene and once at the jail.
Henry has been charged with driving under the influence with a person under the age of 18 in the vehicle, refusing a breath test, and child neglect. She has no local criminal history, and Judge Susan Miller-Jones 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.