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2d ago

Affidavit and Video Detail Westminster DUI Stop Where Three Children Were Found in Trunk

The driver, identified as Thomas Michael Raiola, told police the children were in the trunk “for fun,” according to the arrest affidavit.

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A man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, reckless driving and child abuse in Westminster on Jan. 23, 2026. After he was handcuffed, he told officers his three children were in the trunk of his car, according to body-worn camera footage. (Video still via Westminster Police Department)
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Overview

  • Officers stopped Raiola on Jan. 23 in Westminster after witnessing reckless driving near City Center Drive and 93rd Avenue.
  • Body-worn camera video shows him denying alcohol use, refusing roadside maneuvers, then acknowledging three children were in his trunk.
  • The arrest affidavit says the children were unrestrained in the trunk for about 17 minutes in freezing conditions but were not injured.
  • Police said several bottles of alcohol were recovered from the vehicle, and Child Protective Services released the children to relatives.
  • Raiola was booked into Adams County Jail on suspicion of DUI, reckless driving, lack of insurance and three misdemeanor child-abuse counts, and court records show he was later released on $2,500 bail.