Police: Drunken mother takes 2-year-old son on dangerous ride

A woman with two pending DWI charges faces a third, but this time she allegedly had her 2-year-old son on board.

Police first tried to stop Tia Marie Bradley, 23, around 9:30 p.m. Thursday for “blowing donuts” on West 10th Street at South York Road in a 1997 Nissan, according to a warrant affidavit signed by Gastonia Police Officer F.D. Towle.

But Bradley took off and failed to stop until she struck a tree. Bradley then grabbed the child and left the scene.

When she was found she was unsteady on her feet, had slurred speech and red, glassy eyes, according to police. She refused to take a Breathalyzer test, according to court records.

Police report the child had lacerations on his neck.

The child’s father, Stephen Nicholas Stiffler, 25, faces a charge of aid and abet child abuse with serious injury.

Stiffler and Bradley, who share a home at 1018 Paramount Circle, Gastonia, were reportedly drinking alcohol and were intoxicated with the child present.

“Defendant left the child in a situation that was harmful to the child. Mother was in no condition to care for the child, and no one else was capable of caring for the child,” according to a warrant affidavit.

Stiffler allegedly left the boy, who turned 2 in May, with Bradley.

Stiffler was booked into Gaston County Jail on Friday under a $25,000 bond. District Court Judge Tom Taylor increased his bond to $50,000 during a first court appearance.

Bradley was booked into jail under a $75,000 bond on charges including child abuse, drunken driving, driving without a license, fleeing to elude arrest and felony hit and run. Taylor raised her bond to $100,000.

Stiffler told the judge during his court appearance that his son was now in the custody of his mother.

He said he took the child to the hospital upon the request of police and was met at Gaston Memorial Hospital by officers and social workers from the Department of Social Services.

Bradley already had two pending DWI charges in Gaston County related to incidents in 2009 and earlier this year, according to court records. She has court dates on those charges in October and November.

You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-869-1823.