Woman arrested on DUI, child abuse charge after second traffic stop in one night

CCSO

• Name: BILLIE, HEATHER LORRAINE
• Charge: CHILD ABUSE WITHOUT GREAT HARM, TRAFFIC OFFENSE-DUI ALCOHOL OR DRUGS 1ST OFF, MARIJUANA-POSS NOT MORE THAN 20 GRAMS
• Residence: CLEWISTON
• Age: 22
• Occupation: UNKNOWN
• Case #: Not yet available

IMMOKALEE — A 22-year-old, with no address listed, but a zip code for Clewiston marked on her arrest report, was arrested Sunday and charged with multiple counts, including felony child abuse, DUI and violation of state probation.

Heather Lorraine Billie was arrested by Collier deputies in Immokalee at the intersection of Roberts Avenue and Alachua Street. According to the arrest report, Billie’s arrest followed her second traffic stop by the same deputy early Sunday morning.

The report of her arrest provides this account:

The arresting deputy stopped Billie at 1:47 a.m. in Immokalee because she was driving at a high rate of speed and having trouble maintaining her lane. When the deputy approached the car, Billie had a child sitting on her lap in the driver’s seat. Another child was sitting in the front seat, not fastened in a child restraint seat. The ages of both children were crossed out in the report.

After issuing citations for speeding and improper child restraints, the deputy released Billie, and watched her drive at a high rate of speed up North 11th Street. The deputy reported following Billie out of concern, and continuing to follow her as she drove on Roberts Avenue, a 30 mph zone, at 54 mph, all while speeding through two stop signs without stopping or slowing.

Once the deputy conducted a second stop at around 3 a.m., Billie had both children still sitting in the same locations as the previous stop, and was informed she needed to call someone to come take custody of the children. She could not provide the name, address or telephone number of a family member to take custody of her children, so they were turned over to the State Department of Children and Families.

She also was asked to perform — and failed — several field sobriety exercises.

Billie was charged with violating probation on a 2009 arrest for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of methamphetamine. Because of her failure to properly restrain the children in her car, she was also charged with child abuse without great harm, as well as DUI, misdemeanor marijuana possession and reckless driving.