Tempe man accused of driving car with juveniles inside while drunk: Mesa PD

MESA, Ariz. - Officials with Mesa Police Department say they have arrested a 33-year-old following a crash in the East Valley city.

According to court documents, Cooper J. Boni was arrested on July 29. The incident happened in the area of Broadway Road and Center Street, and according to investigators, Boni's car was captured by traffic cameras running a red light. Subsequently, a collision with another vehicle took place.

"The passengers of the vehicle verbally stated the defendant was in actual physical control of the vehicle which ran the red light, causing the collision," read a portion of the court documents.

Three of the four passengers inside Boni's car, according to investigators, were under 15 years of age. The three juveniles required medical attention as a result of the crash.

"The oldest passenger, who was 19 years old, stated the defendant had been drinking tequila," read a portion of the court documents.

Boni, according to investigators, blew a .285 during a breathlyzer test.

According to court documents, Boni is accused of three counts of Child Abuse, a count of Reckless Driving, and five counts that are related to DUI. A judge has set a cash-only bond of $10,000 for Boni, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8.

In court documents, Boni told police he was living inside a Tempe hotel that used to be a Ramada. It is the same hotel that FOX 10 investigator Justin Lum exposed in his report related to unlicensed sober living facilities.

State health officials believe a company called Newfound Hope was running an unlicensed outpatient treatment center at this location. They were served with a cease-and-desist order earlier this year, and the location is part of multiple state investigations.