Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Possession

A Tacoma man pleaded guilty to heroin possession on Wednesday, three weeks after he and an Olympia woman were arrested for swerving down the highway with four children in the back of the car.

Earl D. Hobbs’ plea was part of a plea bargain that reduced his bail and dropped a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment. The heroin charge, a felony, carries a maximum of seven years in prison. District Court Judge Gary Haman scheduled sentencing for October.

Hobbs, 45, was arrested with Carole E. Digaetano, 37, on Aug. 9. A motorist with a cellular phone reported the couple’s car weaving along Interstate 90 near Coeur d’Alene.

After police stopped the car, they said Hobbs and Digaetano - who was driving - were extremely intoxicated. The four children, ages 5 to 9, ran crying to the Idaho State Police trooper who pulled over the car. The children said they hadn’t eaten since breakfast. They were placed in protective custody.

Digaetano faces three charges: failure to buy a driver’s license, injury to a child, and driving under the influence. No trial date has been set.

, DataTimes