Marie Shipley, 55, faces a felony count of driving under the influence, causing injury. The great-grandmother was arrested Monday at her Lancaster home. Some of her family members said they don't believe it.
"She's a very, very loving woman, and she takes very good care of her grandkids," said Krystal Sandford, Shipley's daughter-in-law. "I don't understand what's all going on, but I really hope that she gets home to us soon."
Witnesses called authorities after seeing Shipley driving drunk with four of her grandsons in the van at Apollo Park in Lancaster Monday afternoon, according to investigators.
Officials said the boys began arguing, and Shipley yelled at them to get out of the van. The boys jumped out, but the 8-year-old tried to get back in.
"Apparently when he started to get back in the vehicle, she started accelerating, not knowing that he was getting in the vehicle or that he was out of the vehicle. At that time, he fell onto the ground, injuring himself and started yelling," said Det. Paul Schrader of the /*Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department*/.
Shipley stopped, put all of the boys back in the van and took them home.
The boy's mother ended up taking her son to the hospital for stitches.
Shipley is expected to make her first court appearance Wednesday. She's being held on $100,000 bail.
