Drunk Grandparents Busted for Towing Girl in Toy Car

Florida couple told cops they were just having fun
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 1, 2012 5:24 AM CDT
Drunk Grandparents Busted for Towing Girl in Toy Car
After an unspecified number of drinks, the Berlonis decided to have some fun with their granddaughter in her Hot Wheels car.   (Sarasota County Sheriff's Office)

It's probably going to be a long time before Paul and Belinda Berloni will be allowed to be in charge of a motor vehicle—or their granddaughter. The couple were arrested after Florida police spotted them in their SUV, driving at speeds of up to 10mph while towing the 7-year-old girl in her plastic Hot Wheels car, which was tied to the SUV with a pair of dog leads. Grandpa, who has a hat trick of previous DUIs, was driving while grandma was in the back cheering on the girl, who wasn't wearing a helmet or any other protective equipment, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.

The pair admitted that they had been drinking and said that while they knew what they were doing was dangerous, they "stated they were just having fun and had been doing this all day," according to the arrest report. When asked for his license, Paul, reeking of booze, told cops it had been “revoked for 10 years for a DUI," states the report, which notes that the girl's father became very upset with his mother, Belinda, after arriving to take custody of the girl. Both grandparents are facing child cruelty charges for placing the girl in a situation that could have resulted "in great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement, or even death." (More strange stuff stories.)

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