DeKalb Woman 41 Arrested for Driving on Drugs With Child in Car
Dierdre Sinkler, 41, of Ottawa was arrested in DeKalb on charges of DUI, drug paraphernalia possession, and endangering a child after deputies found her driving with a juvenile passenger, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office.
DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Makes DUI Arrest on Lincoln Highway
A 41-year-old woman from Ottawa was arrested Saturday after deputies say she was driving under the influence of drugs with a juvenile passenger in the vehicle, according to a news release from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office.
Dierdre Sinkler was pulled over at the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Peace Road in DeKalb around 10:30 a.m. on June 27. Deputies initiated the stop because the vehicle had an expired registration, according to the release.
Upon investigation, deputies believed Sinkler was under the influence of drugs. A juvenile was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
A glass pipe was allegedly found on Sinkler while she was being placed under arrest, according to the news release.
Sinkler faces three charges:
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia
- Endangering the life of a child
She was taken into custody at the DeKalb County Jail and has since been released, the sheriff's office said.
Child Passenger Raises Safety Concerns
The presence of a juvenile in the vehicle during the alleged impaired driving has drawn attention from authorities. Endangering the life of a child is a felony charge in Illinois, according to state law.
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office did not provide additional details about the juvenile or whether the child was injured during the stop.
DeKalb County Unemployment Also Climbs
In related local news, DeKalb County saw its unemployment rate rise to 4.1 percent in May, up from 3.7 percent a year earlier, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The increase was reported alongside similar rises in Ogle County and Lee County.
Statewide, Illinois unemployment climbed to 4.7 percent from 4.2 percent, with total nonfarm employment falling by 10,000 jobs compared with May 2025, according to the department's report.
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