Elk Grove police discover 10 year old driving father home | Crime

ELK GROVE, CA - An Elk Grove man suspected of being under the influence behind the wheel was released on bail Monday after being arrested for having his 10-year-old daughter drive him home Saturday.

Officers responded to calls of a young child driving a vehicle in the area of Mykonos Way and Freitag Way around 10:42 a.m., Elk Grove Police Department Officer Chris Trim said.

Upon arrival, officers saw the vehicle and noticed the little girl operating the vehicle while sitting on her father's lap in the driver's seat, said Trim.

When the officers pulled the vehicle over on the 4500 block of Freitag Way, they noticed the father, 55-year-old Kenneth Grau, displaying symptoms of impairment. Police subsequently attempted to administer a field sobriety test, but Grau refused to comply with instructions, Trim said.

According to Trim, officers then attempted to handcuff Grau, but he became angry and resisted. The officers were thus forced to use physical force to gain control of Grau and arrested him at the scene.

"It's not something that you see every day," Trim said. "You'd expect that your parents would have a little bit more common sense by not putting themselves or their children in a dangerous situation. Besides the fact that he was operating the vehicle impaired as well."

This isn't the first time Grau has been accused of driving drunk. He pled no contest to a DUI charge in March 2009.

When Grau was arrested Saturday, his daughter was placed in the care another family member.

When News10 knocked on the door at Grau's Elk Grove home, no one answered.