Blackduck Woman Charged with DWI, Child Endangerment
BELTRAMI COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A Blackduck woman faces two charges after a June 16 reckless driving report.
Ashlyn Nicole McKeena Hale, 29, is charged in Beltrami County District Court. The complaint lists child endangerment and misdemeanor DWI.
The child endangerment count is a gross misdemeanor. It carries up to 364 days in jail or a $3,000 fine.
The DWI count carries up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Charges are allegations. Hale is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Deputies Respond to Driving Report
Deputies responded around 3:19 p.m. to Alps Court Northwest in Beltrami County. A caller reported a Ford swerving and nearly striking another vehicle.
Investigators later found the Ford parked at a residential lot. Two toddlers were seated in the rear, according to the complaint.
Gabriel Louis Beaulieu was seated in the front passenger seat. The driver’s seat was empty when deputies approached.
Investigators reported seeing a syringe with a dark substance inside the vehicle. Hale later came outside from a nearby residence.
Deputies said Hale’s eyes appeared red and glassy. She first said Beaulieu drove the Ford, according to the complaint.
Vehicle Search and Sobriety Tests
Investigators later learned Hale had been seen driving. The complaint says Hale then admitted driving the Ford.
She also admitted to using methamphetamine before driving, according to the complaint. She said she had not used drugs after leaving the vehicle.
Deputies searched the Ford and reported finding several drug-related items. Those items included a loaded syringe, small bags, burned foil, and Narcan.
They also reported finding lighters, plastic tubes, cotton swabs, pills, and suspected fentanyl. Other unknown powders and a crystal substance were listed.
Beaulieu told investigators the syringe contained methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the filing.
Hale completed field sobriety tests. Deputies reported swaying, arm movements for balance, eyelid fluttering, and body shaking.
Samples Sent for Testing
A judge approved a warrant for a blood or urine sample. Hale provided a sample for testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Suspected substances were also sent for analysis. No laboratory results were included in the complaint provided to TRF News.
The case is filed as 04-CR-26-1407 in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. Public records are available through Minnesota Court Records Online.
The charged laws are available through the Minnesota Revisor’s Office. They include Section 609.378 and Section 169A.20.
I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.
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