Brenda Mondragon's 11-year-old daughter Vanessa missed the bus this month, so her grandmother Ernestina decided to drive her to school.
On the way, a police officer pulled the 49-year-old over and issued Ernestina Mondragon three tickets: one for not having her license with her; a second for making an illegal u-turn; and the third for being a non-English speaking driver.
"At first, I thought it was a joke," said Branda Mondragon. "I said I can't believe it. I actually laughed. I was like, oh my God mom, I have never seen this before. We moved from California two years ago so I thought maybe it's a law here."
It turns out it isn't a law, and that it was an officer in training who issued the citation.
There is a federal law requiring drivers to speak English when operating a commercial vehicle but not a private one.
The Dallas Police Department quickly apologized for the incident.
"We regret this happening, and although we believe it was a sincere mistake, there's no excuse for it," said Sgt. Warren Mitchell.
A court dismissed the citation, and the department said the officer will receive additional training.
