Around 1:28 AM on May 12, 2025, Officer Jared Prendeville with the Raritan Borough Police Department observed a black 2009 Hyundai driving without headlights near the Route 206 circle. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over on a side road. After the driver pulled over, he exited his patrol car and made contact with her. She was eventually identified as 23-year-old Ingrid Mejia-Barrera. As he was speaking with Ingrid, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Ingrid claimed that she was coming from Faraones Night Club in Plainfield, NJ and that she was headed home. She told him that she worked as a bartender, but denied consuming any alcohol. She would later admit to possibly consuming 1 beer several hours earlier. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Ingrid was eventually asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Officer Alyssa Myrnyj administered the field sobriety exercises, and her inability to follow instructions confirmed the officers’ suspicion of impairment. Based on the odor of alcohol, her indicators of impairment, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Ingrid was placed under arrest for DWI. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. She was then transported to the Raritan Borough Police Department for further processing. At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to her, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Since their Alcotest machine was not working, she had to be taken to the nearby Bridgewater Township Police Department to provide breath samples before bringing her back to the Raritan Borough Police Department. After they finished processing Ingrid, she was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after they signed the Potential Liability Warning on Ingrid’s behalf. Officer Prendeville issued Ingrid the following tickets: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Reckless driving (39:4-96) -Careless Driving (39:4-97) -Maintenance of lamps (39:3-66) -Probationary licensee – after hours (39:3-13.4(B)) Court records indicate that on March 4, 2026, Ingrid was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of her conviction, Ingrid had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $640 in fines. The other 4 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. ---------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2001, c. 404). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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