Woman arrested after allegedly striking 11-year-old with car and fleeing

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Documents from St. joseph Superior Court reveal 40-year-old Monica Macri is charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident after committing OWI, a Level 3 Felony, Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 5 Felony, and Possession of Marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor, stemming from an Oct. 13 incident.

Macri's first court hearing is set for Nov. 6.

Documents state on Oct. 13, police responded to a report of an 11-year-old girl being struck by a car.

Authorities later spoke to a doctor at the hospital who stated the victim sustained several broken bones in her leg. Police say damage to the ground on scene indicated a tire could've come off the suspect vehicle from the crash.

Witnesses identified the suspect driver as a white woman and one witness had been able to take a blurry photo of the vehicle.

Police say South Bend's real-time crime center was able to retrieve a possible vehicle description, a white Jeep. Police were also able to view the suspect's license plate.

Authorities reviewed nearby surveillance footage and determined the possible suspect vehicle parked at a nearby Barnaby's Pizza parking lot.

Police arrived to find Macri sitting in the front passenger seat. Officers noted the front passenger tire was off the rim.

Police say they ordered Macri out of the vehicle, to which she said, "I'm not driving." Police say Macri's speech was slurred.

Documents sate Macri's brother arrived on scene and began arguing with officers. A woman with the brother told police Macri called her brother because she didn’t feel safe to drive.

The vehicle was searched and officers located marijuana. It was also noted the driver's seat was pushed forward to the steering wheel, which police say indicates a smaller person was driving.

Macri is described as 5'2" and 110 pounds.

The witnesses identified Macri as the driver and Jeep as the vehicle they saw.

It was further noted Macri had unsteady balance, dilated pupils, and had the odor of alcohol.

A preliminary breath test indicated the presence of alcohol. While completing the breath test police say she stated, "I pulled up I'm waiting for a ride."

Officers understood this to mean Macri had driven there.

Macri was then taken to the hospital for a blood draw. While waiting and without cause, police said Macri was heard saying, "I did not hit anyone. You all were lying. All I did was jump the curb at Jefferson, drove a block down and jumped the curb at Barnaby's, and the tire was flat."

The 11-year-old was struck on Jefferson.

Security footage obtained from Barnaby's shows the white Jeep pulling into the lot, appearing to be missing its front passenger side tire.

A woman is seen getting out of the driver's seat and going into Barnaby's briefly before getting into the passenger side. No one else is seen entering or exiting the Jeep from the time it parked until police arrived.