New Jersey Democrat Gina LaPlaca, mayor of Lumberton Township, faces serious charges after allegedly driving drunk with her 2-year-old son following a St. Patrick’s Day daycare pickup, just days after resigning from another government position.
The 45-year-old Democratic mayor was arrested Monday around 6 p.m. after police responded to reports of erratic driving. Another witness reportedly captured video of LaPlaca’s vehicle swerving across lanes and nearly crashing into a utility pole as her toddler sat strapped in a car seat.
Police traced the vehicle to LaPlaca’s home, where they discovered an open container of alcohol in the car alongside her child secured in the back seat.
According to court documents, LaPlaca admitted to officers she had been drinking before picking up her son from daycare.
She now faces multiple charges including driving under the influence, reckless driving, child neglect and endangerment, driving with an expired license, and related offenses. LaPlaca was released with a summons to appear in court on April 28.
The mayor’s husband, Jason Carty, defended his wife in a Facebook post following her arrest, and said she has been battling addiction issues.
“Millions of Americans struggle with addiction and never get help. Gina LaPlaca is someone who has struggled, and is now getting the help she needs,” Carty wrote on Tuesday. “Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others. This should not erase all the things she has accomplished for our community.”
The arrest comes just one week after LaPlaca abruptly resigned from her position as business administrator for Neptune Township on March 10, citing a “changing political environment” as her reason for departure. That township is located about 50 miles northeast across New Jersey from Lumberton.
LaPlaca’s political career began when she was elected to the Lumberton Township Committee in 2020. The five-member panel first chose her to serve as mayor in 2021, and she has been re-elected to that role for the past three years. She also serves as chairwoman of the Lumberton Democrats.
DUI CHARGES: #Police say Gina LaPlaca, the mayor of #Lumberton, faces DUI charges after driving drunk with her son in the car on St. Patrick's Day. – https://t.co/SyqFbjtRsO#News12 #crime #NewJersey #news pic.twitter.com/yCfHyDPfHa
— News12NJ (@News12NJ) March 19, 2025