Massachusetts

Woman Found With Bearded Dragon in Bra After OUI Crash

Her car hit six mailboxes, left the roadway and went onto a lawn, flattening all four tires and ripping off both bumpers

A Massachusetts woman was found with an exotic lizard in her bra following a drunk driving arrest on Tuesday, police said.

Amy Rebello-McCarthy, 39, of Newton, was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, driving to endanger and a marked lane violation. Her car hit six mailboxes before it left the roadway and went onto a lawn — flattening all four tires and ripping off both bumpers —Tuesday afternoon on Staple Street in Taunton.

"She came down here and went airborne," said Faith Adams, a witness who described the crash path into the mailboxes.

When police arrived and approached Rebello-McCarthy, they said she began laughing. She was also slurring her words and at times drooling.

Before she was transported to the police station, she told police that she had a bearded dragon in her bra.

"You have to keep the lizard warm, they're cold blooded. That's why she carried it in her bra," Cindy Berglund, another witness to the crash, said.

Berglund added that the driver was mumbling when she got out of the car.

"She couldn't stand up. She couldn't talk," Berglund said. "She was out of it."

A man who was with her — who police said was also slurring his words — was found with what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon tucked in his waistband. The man was taken into protective custody. The gun turned out to be an airsoft gun, not a real firearm.

The bearded dragon is in the possession of the Taunton animal control officer.

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