Mahnomen Woman Charged With DWI in Bemidji

Beltrami County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Mahnomen woman is facing criminal charges after a traffic stop in Bemidji led to a DWI arrest and allegations involving controlled substances.

Dominique Rae Lafriniere, 29, of Mahnomen, is charged in Beltrami County District Court with gross misdemeanor DWI involving a controlled substance and misdemeanor driving after revocation.

The charges stem from an incident reported on June 26, 2026, in Bemidji. Court records state Lafriniere was allegedly operating a vehicle while her license was revoked.

Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest

According to the criminal complaint, authorities received a report about Lafriniere allegedly driving a black Nissan Altima while impaired and without a valid license.

The complaint states the vehicle was later located near a business in Bemidji. Investigators reported seeing Lafriniere enter the driver’s seat and drive away.

A traffic stop was then conducted after officers observed expired registration and concerns related to her driving status.

During the stop, court documents allege Lafriniere showed signs of possible impairment. The complaint states she had slurred speech, dilated pupils, and facial tremors.

Field Tests and Vehicle Search

The complaint states field sobriety testing was performed during the investigation.

Officials reported Lafriniere had difficulty completing parts of the testing. She was later arrested on suspicion of DWI and driving after revocation.

Dominique Rae Lafriniere

A search of the vehicle reportedly found items that investigators believed were connected to drug use.

According to court documents, officers located synthetic urine and two straws inside the vehicle. One straw reportedly contained residue that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

Lafriniere reportedly told investigators the items were old and belonged to someone else.

Previous DWI History Listed

Court records state a blood and urine search warrant was completed at Sanford Health after Lafriniere’s arrest.

The complaint states Lafriniere was taken to the Beltrami County Jail without incident.

A records check listed her Minnesota driver’s license status as revoked.

The complaint also states Lafriniere had two prior DWI convictions within the previous ten years.

The charges remain allegations, and Lafriniere is considered innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.