Tip to Police Lands Woman 5th OWI Charge

By Jacob Mathias
A Stevens Point woman faces up to 10 years imprisonment after being arrested on her fifth OWI charge.
Brenda Labarge, 53, was charged with her fifth OWI on June 9.
Law enforcement were notified by a tipster who reporting seeing Labarge, who appeared to be intoxicated, leave a Lake Dubay campground in a red Pontiac Grand Prix. The trooper located Labarge’s vehicle, according to the complaint, and followed it into Stevens Point, eventually initiating a traffic stop for speeding at the intersection of Northpoint Dr. and Division Street.
Labarge’s eyes were bloodshot and glossy, and the trooper reported smelling alcohol when he approached. Initially, she told the trooper she had not been drinking, then said she’d imbibed earlier that day but had since taken a nap. After she was taken into custody, she admitted to drinking “four or five” alcoholic beverages before driving.
Labarge’s breathalyzer indicated she had a .103 blood alcohol content, the complaint says. She was currently under a .02 limit stemming from a previous OWI conviction.
Labarge is currently free on a $1,500 cash bond and returns to court for a preliminary hearing on July 24.