Florida female with blood alcohol content over 3 times legal limit tries to pick up child at elementary school, police say

A Florida female with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit tried to pick up a child at an elementary school last week, police said.

A staff member at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast on Thursday notified a school resource deputy that a woman in the front lobby was trying to pick up a child and appeared impaired, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

'Am I in trouble?'

School staff reported that the woman struggled getting in the door, had slurred speech and glassy eyes, and could not legibly write the name of the student she was trying to sign out, authorities said.

Deputies confronted the woman and identified her as Rebecca Beard, 28, of Palm Coast, officials said.

While speaking with Beard, deputies smelled alcohol on her breath and noticed she had slurred speech, was visibly unsteady, and appeared very tired, officials said, adding that Beard told deputies she had taken prescription medication the night before and was drowsy.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video showing her driving in an erratic manner while entering the school’s parking lot, officials said.

Despite her signs of impairment, Beard insisted she was able to drive, so deputies conducted a series of field sobriety exercises, officials said.

"Am I in trouble?" Beard is heard asking deputies on bodycam video prior to the exercise.

During the exercises, deputies observed that Beard repeatedly failed to follow instructions and struggled to maintain her balance — and as a result, deputies determined she couldn't safely operate a vehicle, officials said.

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Deputies arrested Beard for DUI, officials said.

Beard was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she provided breath tests, officials said, adding that the first test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.298, and the second showed a blood alcohol content of 0.294.

Deputies determined Beard had driven to the school with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit, officials said.

Deputies later searched Beard’s vehicle and found a large empty bottle of vodka under the back passenger seat, officials said.

“This woman endangered all the drivers on the roadway, children and cars on the campus, and had planned to pick up a student and try to drive home drunk, once again endangering everyone,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I am thankful that school staff was vigilant and alerted the SRD and deputies so they could intervene. This is a great example of ‘See Something, Say Something’ in action and our school staff and deputies working together to keep our children safe.”

Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore added that "we are proud to see our employees putting ‘See Something, Say Something’ to work to help keep our students and our campuses safe. It takes everyone working together to safeguard our amazing students.”

Beard was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on a $1,000 bond, officials said.

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