Indiana Mayor's Son Arrested for DUI at McDonald's Drive-Thru

Christian Roberson, 35, the son of Elkhart, Indiana Mayor Rod Roberson, was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating while intoxicated after officers found him asleep behind the wheel of his Kia Optima in a McDonald's drive-thru lane in the early hours of Saturday, March 1.

Police arrived just before 3 a.m. responding to a report of a medical emergency. They found Roberson parked between the take-out windows with his car still in drive. The Elkhart Fire Department also responded to the scene and confirmed he was not experiencing a medical problem. Once Roberson was awake and officers ruled out a health crisis, they administered field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer. Multiple outlets reported the breathalyzer reading came back more than twice the legal limit, though certified results from a subsequent hospital blood draw were still pending as of Tuesday, according to police.

Roberson was transported to a hospital for an additional blood draw to certify his blood alcohol content. Even without those finalized results, officers determined the breathalyzer reading and his behavior at the scene were sufficient grounds for arrest. According to reporting that cited court records, the preliminary charge carries an enhancement for prior offenses, with Face2Face Africa explicitly identifying the charge as Operating While Intoxicated with Prior, a Level 6 Felony.

Roberson was released on $25,000 bond, an amount elevated to reflect his several prior OWI convictions, according to WDNU.

Mayor Rod Roberson and his wife Regina issued a statement acknowledging both their support for their son and the seriousness of the offense. "Regina and I love and will support him unconditionally through this difficult time. That being said, driving under the influence is dangerous and unacceptable. We believe in accountability, and our son will face this matter through the appropriate legal process," the mayor said.

Roberson is scheduled to appear in court to address the OWI charge, though no specific date has been confirmed in public filings reviewed so far. The certified toxicology results from the hospital blood draw, which will serve as the evidentiary standard in any prosecution, had not been released publicly as of the time of initial reporting. A prior OWI conviction history factored directly into both the charge enhancement and the bond calculation, according to court officials cited by local news outlets.

The arrest adds a painful chapter for a family already marked by loss. In November 2022, the mayor's brother Garvin disappeared and was found dead a week later in a vehicle submerged in water in Sturgis, Michigan, according to WVPE.