Police: Woman has child blow into car breathalyzer before rolling over in West Mesa area

A woman was arrested Friday after allegedly having her child blow into a car breathalyzer, then lying to police about the child being kidnapped in Northwest Albuquerque.

Yesenia Tarango, 32, of Albuquerque is charged with child abuse, aggravated driving under the influence and obstructing a child abuse investigation. She is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Her attorney could not be reached for comment.

A detention hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, court records state.

Police identified Tarango through video surveillance from a convenience store, according to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court.

On Friday, the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a call of a vehicle rollover at the intersection of Hanover and Coors.

Tarango told police two people were in a car that “charged” at her vehicle, causing her to flip it as she drove away. She told police the people in the other vehicle then took her child because “she owed drug dealers money,” according to the complaint.

“Yesenia did not want to provide officers with any information on who took her child or where the child had gone,” police said. “She was unwilling to try and help other officers on scene locate her child.”

Before the rollover, a witness told police Tarango was “driving crazy” in a convenience store parking lot before stopping. The witness then saw a small child “blowing into the interlock to start the car,” police were told.

For reasons unclear, the witness told police she drove Tarango and the child to a nearby gas station that was not affiliated with the convenience store. After the witness entered the store with the child, police said Tarango drove off with the witness’ vehicle, then rolled it over.

To prevent the child from seeing the rollover, the witness told police she took the child to a motel room. When police arrived at the motel, they found the child unharmed, according to the complaint.

At the scene of the rollover, Tarango, who had a “strong odor of alcohol,” slurred speech and bloodshot watery eyes, refused to cooperate with police, the complaint states.

In May 2022, Tarango pleaded guilty to DWI. As part of her jail release conditions, she was required to install an ignition interlock device in her vehicle. Over a year later, in December 2023, Tarango pleaded no contest to DWI and child abuse after driving drunk with her child near Oro Grande, according to court records.

In relation to Friday’s incident, prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Tarango until trial, saying, “Apparently, she has not accepted the court’s decision in this matter as the evidence supports the defendant’s use of a child to provide a passable breath sample for the interlock device. She is dangerous when driving a vehicle with the child.”