Clearwater Mother Charged with DUI, Child Neglect

Patricia Waggener of Clearwater faces several charges after Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies arrested her for driving under the influence with her children in the car. The 27-year-old Waggener was arrested at noon last Friday and charged with misdemeanor DUI and three counts of child neglect. (Waggener was identified as Patricia Adams in the newspaper but as Patricia Waggener in the police records. Adams appears to be her maiden name.)

In all likelihood, authorities charged Waggener with one count of child neglect for each child in the vehicle – a total of three separate charges for three separate children. The child neglect charges are categorized as third-degree felonies under Florida law.

According to the arrest affidavit, deputies believed that Waggener appeared to be under the influence of narcotics when she was pulled over. She allegedly had difficulty talking and standing. She reportedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests.

There was no indication in the affidavit as to which road she was stopped. Interestingly, a Jonathan Waggener with the same home address as Patricia Waggener, was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges in Pinellas County earlier that same day.

The child neglect counts arise when caregivers are found to be driving under the influence with children because of the caregiver’s duty to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health. Under Florida law, neglect of a child may be based on repeated conduct or on a single incident that could reasonably be expected to result in serious physical injury, or a substantial risk of death, to a child.

Waggener was held in lieu of $30,500 bail. She faces up to a year in jail on the DUI charge if convicted and up to five years in prison for each of the felony child neglect counts if convicted.