Florida Woman Arrested After Attempting to Pick Up Child From Elementary School While Drunk

A woman in Florida was arrested after she allegedly showed up drunk at an elementary school on Thursday, October 15, and attempted to pick up a child, according to deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred at Wadsworth Elementary School after a school resource deputy was notified that the woman, 28-year-old Rebecca Beard from Palm Coast, appeared to be impaired in the school’s lobby, per a statement from the FCSO.

School staff told deputies that the woman had slurred speech and glassy eyes, struggled with the door and “could not legibly write the name of the student she wanted to sign out,” according to the statement.

In their statement, responding FCSO deputies reported the suspect had alcohol on her breath, appeared “very tired” and “visibly unsteady.” She reportedly told deputies she had taken prescription medication the night before and was drowsy.

“Am I in trouble?” Beard asked in body camera footage released by the department.

Surveillance footage reviewed by FCSO allegedly showed Beard driving erratically as she entered the school’s parking lot. Deputies claimed to have later found a large empty vodka bottle under the back passenger seat of her vehicle, per the statement.

Beard failed a series of field sobriety tests on the scene after she told deputies she was able to drive, per the FCSO statement. Deputies alleged in it that Beard “repeatedly failed to follow instructions and struggled to maintain her balance.”

It was later revealed that Beard’s blood alcohol content was allegedly three times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08 percent, per FCSO. According to the sheriff’s office, Beard was tested twice, with her BAC reportedly coming back 0.298 percent and 0.294 percent.

“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 in the statement. “I am thankful that school staff was vigilant and alerted the SRD and deputies so they could intervene.”

“We are proud to see our employees putting ‘See Something, Say Something’ to work to help keep our students and our campuses safe,” Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore agreed.

Globe confirmed Beard was arrested and charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence, per a Flagler County Sheriff Inmate Search, before she was later released on a $1,000 bond. A court date has not been set.