After rash of disturbances, mom arrested for third DUI, child abuse

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The trouble started at the St. Petersburg Pier and ended at a nearby park. Police say a Pinellas County mother in a minivan was so out of control, her own children were trying to get away from her.

St. Petersburg police say Christine King, 37, was drinking Chardonnay out of a box Wednesday, then drove to the Pier with her two daughters, ages 12 and 5, and a 11-year-old friend of theirs. They say King bought more alcohol, then urinated off the side of the Pier.

As King drove near Beach Drive, police say she got angry at the kids and nearly ran into a man walking out of a restaurant.

The children jumped out of the minivan and starting running away.

"At one point, just prior to the children bailing out of the van, she actually struck one of them in the face. And her behavior at that point caused them alarm enough when they thought they better flee, "said police spokesperson Mike Puetz.

Witnesses saw King chasing after the children and two men tried to restrain her.

"She began to suggest to them that maybe the reason they were doing this was because they wanted to have relations with her.  To emphasize the point, she decided to remove her top," said Puetz.

Even after police arrived, King's erratic behavior continued.

"She continued to make suggestive remarks to the officer.  At one point, she had a cigarette in her hand, she actually flipped it in his direction. When the officer arrested her, she kicked the officer in the stomach.  This was just one continuous bad decision after another," said Puetz.

Police say this was her third arrest for DUI. She is also facing three counts of child abuse, battery on a police officer, and disorderly conduct.

According to police the children's grandmother came to pick them up and she indicated that Christine King only recently regained custody of her kids.