Poughkeepsie Woman Arrested For DWI With Children in the Car

A Poughkeepsie woman is facing serious felony charges after New York State Police say she was driving drunk, with three young children in the car.

According to police, 31-year-old Shabrina N. Willis, of Poughkeepsie, was arrested Saturday night following a traffic stop on Route 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

Poughkeepsie Woman Arrested for DWI

Troopers say the stop happened around 8:17 p.m. on March 21st, when a Nissan traveling northbound on South Road was pulled over for multiple vehicle and traffic violations.

While speaking with the driver, troopers say Willis showed clear signs of intoxication. She was asked to perform standardized field sobriety tests and ultimately failed, according to police.

Three Young Children in the Vehicle

As the investigation continued, troopers discovered that three children, ages 3, 4, and 8, were inside the vehicle at the time of the stop.

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Willis was taken into custody and transported to the State Police barracks in Wappinger for processing. Authorities say she later submitted to a chemical breath test, which revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.17%, more than twice the legal limit.

She now faces multiple charges, including:

• Three counts of aggravated DWI with a child passenger under Leandra’s Law (class E felonies)
• Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle (felony)
• Driving While Intoxicated
• Driving While Intoxicated (BAC of 0.08% or higher)
• Multiple vehicle and traffic violations

Police confirmed that all three of the children were safely released to a sober third party.

Willis was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to the Town of Poughkeepsie Court on April 23, 2026, at 9 a.m.