Woman accused of child endangerment pleads guilty to lesser charge

A Pablo woman pleaded guilty to first-time aggravated driving under the influence as part of a plea agreement Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Lake County District Court.

Shania Jo Doney, 22, originally was charged with felony criminal child endangerment, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years and a $50,000 fine.

According to court documents a Tribal Police officer saw Doney in the driver’s seat of a car full of people on April 20, 2020 in Ronan. A woman in the passenger seat held a 2-year-old child in her lap.

The officer warned Doney not to drive because she appeared intoxicated. Less than an hour later the officer saw Doney driving the same vehicle, with the child still in the car.

The officer stopped the vehicle, and Doney initially blew over 0.08 blood alcohol content on a breath test. A subsequent blood test returned a BAC of 0.143, nearly twice the legal limit.

“No one was injured as a result of her actions and she has taken responsibility,” Deputy Lake County Attorney Ben Anciaux said while explaining the plea agreement in court.

Doney is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 17 by District Court Judge James A. Manley.