Farmington woman faces child abuse, aggravated DWI after arrest with toddler

A Farmington woman already on supervised probation is back in court facing felony charges after police say a DWI stop with her 2-year-old daughter in the car turned into a struggle with officers.

Steffanie Begay, 24, was stopped by Farmington police at 6:54 p.m. April 21 at West 30th Street and Piñon Hills Boulevard after Lt. Christopher Blea saw her driving at a high rate of speed. Officers said Begay admitted she had been drinking, and after field sobriety tests she agreed to a breath test that registered 0.16. Under New Mexico law, that level meets the threshold for aggravated DWI, making the case more serious than a routine drunken-driving arrest.

Court records show Begay was charged with second-degree felony child abuse, fourth-degree felony attempt to escape from custody, fourth-degree felony battery on a peace officer, and misdemeanor counts of aggravated DWI, reckless driving, resisting arrest and driving without a license. The child abuse allegation stems from the presence of her young daughter in the vehicle, a detail that raises the stakes for prosecutors and probation officers in San Juan County.

The arrest also escalated, according to the report, after Begay was handcuffed and placed in the police vehicle. Officers said she removed her seat belt and grabbed Officer Shenaya Ranger by the hair, continuing to struggle until another officer helped regain control. Begay later complained of an arm injury and was taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center, where an X-ray suggested only a strain.

The new case lands against the backdrop of Begay’s prior conviction. She was already serving three years of supervised probation from a June 28, 2024 conviction for battery on a peace officer. That existing probation means the latest allegations could carry consequences beyond the new charges themselves, including possible action in her earlier case.

Magistrate Trudy Chase ordered Begay released to Pretrial Services. For local readers, the case is a reminder that a single traffic stop can quickly widen into a felony prosecution when police say impaired driving involved a child and ended with a fight in the back of a patrol car.