Carthage woman cited for DWI, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest

The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office filed felony charges of driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest against a Carthage woman today. 

Bond was set at $7,500 cash or surety for Jessenia Josefina Eaton (DOB 1982) and a warrant issued for her arrest.

According to the probable cause statement, Eaton has three prior DWI convictions.

From the probable cause statement:

On 5-13-2025, I, Officer Lane, received information from dispatch of a report of an intoxicated driver who had left a restaurant in Joplin on Rangeline Road in an intoxicated condition. Dispatch advised that the suspect, identified as Eaton, Jessenia was believed to be intoxicated and had her juvenile child in the vehicle with her. 

Eaton was believed to be en route to her residence in Carthage, Missouri, in a red Toyota RAV4 with Missouri license plate 5DCX84. The license plate expired in March of 2025. 

At approximately 2148 hours, I observed the suspect vehicle approaching the intersection of Regan Avenue and Rombauer Avenue from the south. Eaton, who was the driver, turned west at the intersection at a high rate of speed, left the roadway to the right side, and drove through the grass. 

Eaton corrected and drove back onto Rombauer Avenue but failed to maintain the right half of the roadway, continuing westbound on the eastbound side. Upon seeing my marked patrol vehicle, Eaton rapidly turned into the alley between Robertson Avenue and Regan Avenue, failing to use a turn signal.

I activated my emergency lighting and initiated a traffic stop. Eaton failed to yield to my emergency lighting and instead accelerated north through the alley. She then turned into the back driveway of her residence. Eaton refused orders to show her hands. Eaton exited the vehicle. She began walking away. I observed her stagger and sway. 

An eight-year-old juvenile, later identified as JI, exited the vehicle from the back driver's side screaming. I holstered my firearm and took hold of Eaton and secured her in hand restraints. 

Eaton physically resisted being placed in hand restraints by pulling away her arms. Her speech was slurred. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot, and I detected a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from her person. 

Eaton was placed under arrest at 2150 hours. As I escorted Eaton back to my vehicle, she physically resisted and attempted to escape my control. She slipped her hands out of the restraints. 

While she continued to resist and attempt to escape my control, I re-secured her hands behind her back and tightened and double-locked the restraints. I then secured her in the prisoner compartment of my patrol vehicle. 

When speaking to Eaton, she attempted to exit my car. Eaton had defecated. During my efforts to prevent her from exiting, she caused me to come in contact with her fecal matter on my left hand.

During transport, Eaton again escaped hand restraints, struck the cage, and spread feces on the cage walls. Eaton agreed to field sobriety testing at the jail. 

The probable cause statement indicates Eaton's blood alcohol content was almost twice the legal limit.