Mother arrested after dragging her daughter outside of the car while trying to drive drunk, cops say

A mother in California has been arrested after she allegedly dragged her daughter outside of her car while the child was trying to stop her from drunk driving.

Around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, Placenta, California Police Department officers responded to a home for an assault investigation, according to ABC 13 News.

When they arrived, they found an 8-year-old girl who had bruises on her legs and feet with her grandmother, ABC 13 News reported.

Police said they were told the child had gone outside of the home because she was concerned about her mother, Erin Garcia, driving while drunk, according to ABC 13 News.

The child grabbed the passenger’s door handle and asked her mom to stop as she was trying to drive away, ABC 13 News reported.

Garcia reportedly looked at her daughter and drove away, dragging the child alongside the vehicle for approximately 300 feet, according to ABC 13 News.

A man who saw the incident stepped in and tried to get Garcia to stop the car, ABC 13 News reported.

The man and the girl’s grandmother eventually got Garcia to stop briefly and they tried to get her out of the vehicle, according to ABC 13 News.

Garcia then drove away and the bystander was dragged by her car, ABC 13 News reported.

When police responded to the grandmother’s home, they found Garcia hiding behind bushes in the backyard, according to ABC 13 News.

Garcia allegedly resisted arrest and kicked at the officers but was eventually taken into custody without further incident, ABC 13 News reported.

The child and bystander were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to ABC 13 News.

Garcia was taken to Orange County Jail and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment and battery against a police officer, ABC 13 News reported.