The Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office released a new report highlighting a surge in DWI and DWAI-related arrests across the county, with 119 individuals charged between January and August.
The update, released September 10, details dozens of convictions tied to incidents from June through August. Charges range from felony-level offenses to misdemeanors involving alcohol and drugs.
Felony convictions include drug impairment and child endangerment
Six people were convicted on felony counts of Driving While Intoxicated or Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs. Among them:
- Rachel Stoneburg of Aurelius and Kenneth Niles of Phelps were arrested in Auburn and Throop, respectively, for DWI.
- Gregory Ostrander of Auburn was sentenced in Sennett for felony DWAI Drugs.
- Alexy Pizarro, also of Auburn, was convicted of aggravated DWI involving a child in the vehicle.
- Matthew Carr of Rouses Point, NY, was arrested in Auburn for felony DWI.
Misdemeanor DWI and aggravated DWI charges
Nine others were convicted of Driving While Intoxicated (misdemeanor), including drivers from Auburn, Freeville, Springport, Ira, and other nearby towns.
Three more—Joelle Townsend, Kimberly Tanner, and Shokeyma Mills-Maddox—were convicted of Aggravated DWI, which generally involves a blood alcohol content of 0.18% or higher.
One additional defendant, Tiffany Skarr of Jordan, was convicted of DWAI Drugs (misdemeanor) after an arrest in Sennett.
Year-to-date totals
So far in 2025, Cayuga County has seen:
- 14 felony DWI/DWAI charges
- 94 misdemeanor DWI/DWAI charges
- 16 DWAI Drugs
- 12 DWAI Alcohol
- 2 Leandra’s Law violations, involving driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle
Some individuals faced multiple charges stemming from a single arrest.
District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci’s office released the full list of convictions, which included the defendants’ names, birthdates, hometowns, and arrest locations.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].