Deshan Andrea Mathis, 41, of La Plata
Deshan Andrea Mathis, 41, of La Plata, is charged in Charles County District Court with failing to obey a reasonable and lawful order, disorderly conduct, and two counts of neglect of a minor after an April 7, 2026, incident on Crain Highway in La Plata, according to court documents. Arrest paperwork tied to the same incident also lists traffic allegations of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, reckless driving, negligent driving, and driving while impaired by alcohol while transporting a minor.
According to the statement of probable cause, La Plata Police were dispatched at about 6:10 p.m. on April 7, 2026, for a reported crash. Court records say a 911 caller told dispatch he had been struck by another vehicle and believed the other driver was intoxicated. The paperwork also states that a witness saw the crash and had video footage of it.
According to charging documents, an adult male victim told police he was stopped southbound at the intersection of Crain Highway and Port Tobacco Road in the number two lane when the other vehicle tried to change lanes without enough room. He said the driver “continued attempting the lane change” and hit the rear of his vehicle. He also told police that both vehicles then pulled into the parking lot of Absher Liquors, where he confronted the driver, and that he immediately observed her “stumbling,” “unable to maintain her balance,” “exhibiting slurred speech,” and “emitting strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.” The same adult male victim also reported that there were two minor victims in the back seat of the other vehicle.
The officer wrote that he also observed multiple signs of impairment, including watery and bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, difficulty maintaining balance and coordination, and speech that was hard to understand. The probable cause statement says Mathis walked away when instructed to speak with the officer about the crash, got back into a vehicle that was still running, and refused repeated verbal commands to get out until she was physically removed and arrested.
Court records state that the two minor victims in the vehicle were ages 6 and 10. The officer wrote that after Mathis was placed in a police cruiser, she began “yelling and screaming loudly,” drawing the attention of people in the parking lot and nearby businesses. The records say the two children were later released to their father, who was not involved in the incident.
