Woman accused of drunken driving with kids in vehicle

A Rice Lake woman is accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with four children ranging in age from 5 to 10 inside after a report came in of her allegedly being intoxicated while loading up a van with the juveniles and screaming at them.

Brandelle L. Brenizer, 35, was charged on Tuesday in Barron County Circuit Court with felony OWI with a passenger younger than 16 and operating w/PAC with a passenger younger than 16, both as third offenses.

If convicted on the OWI charge, Brenizer faces a fine of up to $4,000 and as many as two years in prison. Because the charge alleges she committed the crime with a minor child in the vehicle, she also could lose her driver’s license for up to six years. Her initial appearance is slated for Sept. 11.

According to the criminal complaint, a report came in at approximately 9:12 p.m. on June 11 of an intoxicated woman loading up her van with multiple kids and screaming at them at a business in Rice Lake.

An officer found Brenizer in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with four children inside ranging in age from 5 to 10. The vehicle was on and he detected a strong for of intoxicants emanating from it but the defendant denied drinking.

The defendant exited the vehicle and stumbled. She said she maybe had two mixed drinks at the ballpark.

Brenizer said she turned the car on but did not drive it. The officer observed she had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and she declined to perform field sobriety tests or a preliminary breath test. She told two officers that she was impaired.

When placed under arrest for suspected OWI, Brenizer began screaming at her friend and stated a profanity. While being placed in a police car, she blocked the door and was screaming.

Brenizer eventually was calmed and transported to the Rice Lake Police Department. She did not consent to the collection of an evidentiary chemical sample of her blood and a warrant was obtained.

The result of the blood draw indicated .189 g/100mL.