ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Christian Stoner of St. Paul appeared in court Friday for the first time since his arrest on January 3rd. It's a DWI case the St. Paul City Attorney calls "shocking" and "tragic."
"It's one thing to risk your own life, but with kids involved it's unbelievable," said Sara Grewing, the city's attorney.
According to the criminal complaint, on the night of January 3rd Stoner, 40, picked up his 5-year-old son and his 1-year-old daughter from a daycare center and then drove drunk. Later, the son admitted that his dad was "pulling over in random places."
Eventually Stoner pulled into a neighborhood in the 1900 block of Palace Avenue in St. Paul. The son got out of the vehicle and ran to a neighbor to ask for help.
When police arrived they found Stoner sitting in his car barefoot and visibly drunk while the children were crying and hungry. Stoner's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit for driving.
"The defendant is looking at additional time just because he risked the lives of children in the car," says Grewing. "This little boy was a hero for doing what he did, too."
A Ramsey County judge told Stoner Friday his pre-trial hearing will be set for March 29. Stoner is facing up to a year in jail if convicted. This arrest is his first run-in with the law.
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