Mankato Woman Drove Drunk as 3 Children Leapt from Her SUV

Three children leapt from a moving gold SUV in a Mankato construction zone after becoming fearful of a high-speed crash, suffering injuries as they hit the road.

Tanisha Marie Ceballos, 45, of Mankato, faces nine charges including 3rd-degree assault, three counts of 4th-degree assault on peace officers and emergency staff, threats of violence, criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm under the influence of alcohol, two counts of DWI, child endangerment and obstructing legal process, according to a complaint filed Thursday in Blue Earth County District Court.

In the early morning hours of July 8, a minor female called 911 and reported she had fallen in the street and hurt her arm, while the victim was in a gold car in a construction area. Dispatchers overheard a struggle for the phone and mapped the call to East Main Street and Division Street in Mankato. Officers arrived and found a minor female and her minor brothers, who told police they had jumped from a moving vehicle because of the victim’s erratic driving and intoxication.

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The children, all under 16, reported injuries from hitting the road. Officers observed scratches on one child’s arms and bleeding with road rash on another’s shoulder. A witness who was also a passenger in the vehicle told police that Ceballos drove through a construction zone at high speed, swerved badly and scared the occupants, causing the three children to leap from the vehicle to avoid harm.

Officers found a gold SUV with deflated tires nearby, registered to Ceballos. When officers found Ceballos in the area, she became increasingly agitated and refused to walk to the squad car after being handcuffed, telling an officer he would need to move her. As the officer tried to escort her, Ceballos jumped and fell forcefully to the ground. Police transported her to the hospital for evaluation.

During the ride, Ceballos threatened the officer and his family, referencing the cartel and saying, “your momma is going to be dead,” “your daddy is going to be dead,” and “your baby girl is going to be dead, you sorry a** b****.” She also spit twice at the partition in the squad car and agreed with the officer that she was threatening him.

At the hospital, Ceballos told another officer the cartel would hunt him down, then spit on the first officer’s hand and kicked the second officer in the foot, attempting to trip him. Officers also observed Ceballos spit on two emergency room nursing staff, who provided written statements confirming the assault.

Police obtained a warrant for a blood sample, but Ceballos refused to comply after being told multiple times that refusal is a crime. At the jail, she continued to resist, falling to the floor and refusing to enter a holding cell.

About This Charge

Minnesota classifies assault by degree under § 609.221 (first), § 609.222 (second), § 609.223 (third), § 609.2231 (fourth) and § 609.224 (fifth). First-degree assault, alleging great bodily harm, carries up to 20 years in prison. The lower degrees range from gross-misdemeanor up to 10-year felony exposure depending on weapon use and harm.