MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie woman was arrested for driving recklessly with a child in the backseat of a car.
According to an affidavit for probable cause, a Delaware County Sheriff’s deputy first observed 36-year-old Kristi Lei Cain when she was driving westbound on Bethel Avenue on Thursday. The deputy, who was in an unmarked vehicle, saw Cain driving a green Dodge Stratus at a high rate of speed.
Court records indicate the same deputy later saw Cain blow through a stop sign on Bethel Avenue. The deputy continued to follow Cain after she sped by the stop sign.
As the deputy continued to observe her activity, Cain disregarded a second stop sign and began weaving in and out of traffic between westbound vehicles on Bethel Avenue.
According to court documents, Cain had a large towel on her head. The deputy reported that, at one point, Cain was driving without her hands on the steering wheel because she was using them to dry her hair.
Court records show that Cain ran a stoplight before she ultimately stopped driving to pull into the parking lot of a medical facility. The deputy who had been pursuing her then activated his emergency lights and pulled into the clinic behind her.
As the deputy approached the Stratus Cain was driving, he observed an 11-month-old child in the backseat of the car. Court records show that the child was not properly secured in the backseat of the vehicle.
While speaking with the deputy, Cain said she was running late for an appointment at the medical facility. Police later learned that her driver’s license was suspended and that she had a warrant out for her arrest for driving with a suspended license.
Law enforcement took Cain into custody at the scene, and one of her family members came to the scene to take custody of the infant who was in the backseat of the Stratus.
Cain has been preliminarily charged with reckless driving — a Class A Misdemeanor — and neglect of a dependent — a Level 6 Felony.
The maximum penalty for a Level 6 Felony in Indiana is a 2.5-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.
