Dem official pleads guilty to child abuse for driving drunk at triple legal limit, enters diversion program

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Bodycam video shows former mayor Gina LaPlaca taking a field sobriety test as officers move her child to the curb for safety. (Credit: Lumberton Township, N.J. Police Department) A New Jersey township official pleaded guilty Monday to child abuse and driving under the influence after prosecutors said she drove with a blood alcohol concentration of .30% — nearly four times the legal limit — while her young child was in the car. Gina LaPlaca, 46, a member of the Lumberton Township Committee and former mayor, was sentenced to three years of supervision under Burlington County’s Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program, under a diversionary program that does not include jail time if she complies with its conditions, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. In a statement posted to social media, LaPlaca called her actions "wrong," "dangerous," a