Former NJ mayor sentenced after pleading guilty to child abuse, DUI charges

The former mayor of Lumberton Township, New Jersey, has been sentenced to supervision after pleading guilty to child abuse and DUI charges after prosecutors said she drove drunk with her young child in the car last year.

On March 27, 2025, Police in Lumberton responded to the home of former Lumberton Township Mayor Gina LaPlaca, 46, after a concerned resident called 911 to report that she was driving erratically.

At the time, law enforcement officials were also sent a video that showed a vehicle swerving out of lanes while driving and, at one point, nearly hitting a utility pole.

Court documents claim that in an interview with police, LaPlaca later admitted that she had been drinking and said she drove the vehicle to pick up her son from day care.

During a search of LaPlaca’s vehicle, officers reported finding an open container of alcohol.

Police in Lumberton, New Jersey, released body camera videos of Mayor Gina LaPlaca’s arrest on St. Patrick’s Day after she was accused of driving drunk. NBC10’s Shaira Arias reports. 

An investigation found that LaPlaca had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .30%, officials said. In New Jersey, drivers with a BAC above .08% are guilty of drunk driving.

Nearly a year later, prosecutors said on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, LaPlaca pleaded guilty to fourth-degree child abuse and driving under the influence. She was sentenced to three years of supervision under a diversionary program for first-time offenders known as Pretrial Intervention.

Prosecutors said LaPlaca must continue to provide proof of attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and abide by specific conditions of participation in the PTI program. She was also ordered to have an ignition interlock device installed on her vehicle.