Police: Man Charged With DUI Had Unrestrained Kids in Car

An Acworth man who was arrested over the weekend allegedly drove under the influence with three kids who were not in child restraints seats. 

According to a press release from the Cherokee Sheriff's office, a deputy on patrol Saturday afternoon noticed a vehicle traveling northbound on Bells Ferry Road near Eagle Drive in Towne Lake. In the backseat of the vehicle, the deputy witnessed a woman holding a small child.

The deputy pulled the vehicle over and upon approaching the vehicle, he observed two children ages 7 and 4 sharing a seatbelt in the backseat. Also in the backseat was a woman sharing a seatbelt with a 3-year-old toddler, the same child she had been holding just moments earlier, the agency said.

The driver of vehicle, Luis Marquez-Bernal, 30, of Acworth, was charged with driving under the influence, three counts of endangering a child, three counts of child not in restraint, driving without a license and is currently on hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center. 

The sheriff's office is using this incident to remind residents that if they need a car seat for their child, one can be obtained by visiting Safe Kids Cherokee County's website. 

Safe Kids Cherokee County, led by Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services, educates parents and care givers on how to properly install and use car seats, offers car seat inspections and provides car seats and booster seats to financially eligible families.

For more information about the Cherokee County car seat program, contact Safe Kids Cherokee County at (678) 493-4343.