Woman trying to pick up child from day care arrested on DUI charge

A "highly intoxicated" Lincoln woman was arrested on Friday after she tried to pick up her child from a Marysville day care center, the Marysville Police Department reported.

Colleen Marie Weeks was jailed after preliminary tests revealed her blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, Sgt. Chris Sachs said.

"Thank goodness for the alert day-care employees," Sachs said Saturday. "It was definitely a heads-up observation realizing the parent was highly intoxicated."

However, the 28-year-old Weeks said she was not driving and did not try to put her daughter in her car.

"I was intoxicated, but I never tried to drive away with my child — never. I wasn't even driving," she said. "I never even put her in the car."

Weeks' blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.19 percent, police said.

Officers were called around 6:50 p.m. regarding an abandoned toddler at the day care center in the 100 block of B street.

"The latest pickup time there is 6 p.m., and employees called officers about the child," the police sergeant said said.

Minutes later, employees called again and told police a woman arrived in a vehicle to take the child but appeared drunk, Sachs said.

Officers tested and arrested Weeks. The child was turned over to a family member, police said.

Weeks said a friend gave her a ride to the day care center in her own vehicle and dropped her off. Weeks said the friend left the scene when police got involved.

"I was waiting outside the day care for my boyfriend to pick us up," Weeks said.

However, police said at least one person witnessed Weeks behind the wheel.

"Well, nobody can witness me driving if I wasn't driving," Weeks said.

"Employees said she was trying to leave with child, and they would not let her," Sachs said. "They took the child into the day care and locked the doors."

Weeks adamantly denied wrongdoing.

"I guess they just didn't like that I was intoxicated," Weeks said. "But, I wasn't driving."

Weeks was booked into the Yuba County Jail on two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.

Sachs said Weeks would not face child endangerment charges because the center employees prevented her from placing the child in the vehicle.

She was released several hours later and is set to appear Jan. 30 for arraignment in Yuba County Superior Court.

CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.