By Patrick Tepoorten

North Branch police responded to a report of erratic driving on I-35 near County Road 17 last Tuesday and made a startling discovery. The intoxicated driver not only had an infant in the car with her, she was pregnant.

The driver, Glenda Rae Persund, 25, Forest Lake, registered a .329 blood alcohol level using a portable breath test. In the car with her was a four to six-month-old child, and Persund appeared to be about six months pregnant.

Persund, who indicated to officers that she was on her way from Forest Lake to Pine City, was arrested on two counts of felony DWI and her vehicle, a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban, was seized for forfeiture.

Both Persund and the infant were transported to Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center.

Since the infant's father was out of state at the time of the arrest, an emergency placement was used to place the child in foster care.