Milwaukee, WI – Acting Sheriff Richard R. Schmidt ordered an aggressive Operating While Intoxicated (OWI- drugs and/or alcohol) initiative to rid the Milwaukee County freeway system of intoxicated drivers.

This weekend’s Operation Drive Sober initiative from Friday at 4:00 p.m. through today at 6:00 a.m., resulted in the arrest of 15 drunken drivers. The average PBT test results were .14.

Five repeat offenders were arrested: Milwaukee residents Cody Schultz, age 31, for OWI-4^th; and for OWI-2^nd: Jeremy Hays, age 31; Schontaye Matlock-Landers, age 31; Lucas Peters, age 28; and Alyssa Blaha, age 30, of Wauwatosa, who faces additional charges of OWI-2^nd with minor passengers in vehicle.

First-time offenders were James Gilbertson, age 20, of Cedarburg; Regina Harris, age 61, of Menomonee Falls; and Milwaukee residents: Angela Lane, age 24; Mario Rivera, age 36; John Baeten, age 32; Juan Mares-Martinez, age 22; Shanequa Jackson, age 24; Erica Shaw, age 41; Jeffrey Busalacchi, age 38; and Josue Nolasco, age 28.

On Friday, September 29, at about 11:45 p.m., deputies arrested Alyssa M. Blaha OWI-2^nd with Passenger Under 16 years of age. Two children, ages eight and 18 months, were in the vehicle.

Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt said, “I’ve clearly made it known that intoxicated drivers will not be tolerated. My heart goes out to the children in the car who endured this late-night ordeal.”

A deputy observed Blaha deviating lanes as she exited US-45 to eastbound Watertown Plank Road. She was stopped at Harwood and Dewey avenues. She refused to take the PBT tests, and was transported to Froedtert for a legal blood draw after deputy’s obtained a judge’s warrant. The children were taken to the patrol substation, where a social worker with Child Protective Services (CPS) picked them up at 2:55 a.m.

If convicted, Blaha faces incarceration for up to two years.