Woman Accused of Letting Son, 11, Drive

An Oxnard woman was arrested Saturday on suspicion of drunk driving and child endangerment after allegedly permitting her 11-year-old son to drive her vehicle while she helped steer from the passenger seat.

Juana Georgina Acosta, 32, was riding in her van about 5 p.m. when Oxnard Police Officer Brian Woolley said he saw her repeatedly lean over and steer while helping her son make lane changes on westbound Gonzales Road, near Rose Avenue.

“During an interview, she also said she was helping control the pedals with her left foot,” Woolley said.

Woolley pulled Acosta over in front of her sister’s house on Snow Avenue and discovered the boy had been behind the wheel, apparently steering and using the brake and gas pedals.

The boy told Woolley that his mother had permitted him to drive because she was too intoxicated, Oxnard Police Sgt. Bob Thomas said.

Police tested Acosta’s blood-alcohol content and found it three times the legal limit, Thomas said.

Acosta was arrested and remained in Ventura County Jail on Sunday night in lieu of $50,000 bail. Her son was released to the custody of his grandmother, Woolley said.