CHP: Santa Rosa girl, 15, found driving suspected drunken father

A Santa Rosa man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of child endangerment and other charges after he allowed his 15-year-old daughter to drive his Dodge Ram while he rode along as a drunken passenger, the CHP said.

An officer stopped the truck Sunday night around 7:30 p.m. after noticing it going about 20 mph in a 35 mph zone on Llano Road with expired registration, Officer Jon Sloat said in a news release.

The officer stopped the truck after it pulled into a private driveway and found that a 15-year-old was driving with passenger Grasifedo Chavez, 35.

Chavez told the officer he was teaching his daughter to drive and that he was meeting someone at the driveway they’d pulled into. But the owner of the home said they didn’t know Chavez.

The officer noticed several empty beer cans in the truck and that Chavez showed signs of intoxication, Sloat said. Chavez was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, permitting an unlicensed driver to operate his vehicle,and providing false information to an officer. The girl was released to her mother, Sloat said.