Leandra’s Law, officially known as the Child Passenger Protection Act, is a New York State law that significantly increased the penalties for driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a child in the vehicle.
It was signed into law in November 2009 following the tragic death of 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a crash while riding in a car driven by a friend’s mother who was intoxicated.
16 years later, there is still a number of parents driving drunk with kids in the car in Westchester. Here are two of the latest, and check out the times of arrest. Last week, we reported on an Elmsford woman arrested. Here’s another one.
Peekskill man charged with Leandra’s Law following traffic stop
On March 8, 2026, at approximately 3:44 a.m., New York State Police from the Cortlandt Barracks (SP Cortlandt) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on N. James Street in the City of Peekskill for a violation of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
During the stop, the operator, identified as Jorge Quizhpi, 47, of Peekskill, New York, displayed signs of intoxication. Standardized Field Sobriety Tests were administered, which Quizhpi subsequently failed. Further investigation revealed that a child, age 4, was in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Quizhpi was taken into custody and transported to SP Cortlandt for processing, where he refused to submit to a chemical breath test. The child was safely released to a sober third party.
As a result of the investigation, Quizhpi was charged with the following:
- Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger (Leandra’s Law), a class E felony
- Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor
- Vehicle and Traffic Law violation
Quizhpi was arraigned in Westchester County Centralized Arraignment Court and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear before the City of Peekskill Court on March 12, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
