Thread: NY: Top Hispanic "immigrant advocate" arrested for

op Hispanic advocate facing drunken driving charge

By Rob Ryser
The Journal News • December 15, 2008



SOMERS - A top Hispanic advocate who runs the White-Plains based Westchester Hispanic Coalition is facing a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge, police said yesterday.

Graciela Heymann, 49, the executive director of the Westchester Hispanic Coalition, will have to explain herself to a town judge next month after being pulled over on Route 100, state police at Somers said.
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The coalition she runs is a well-respected countywide nonprofit organization that helps the region's Hispanic immigrants integrate and become self-sufficient.

It was not clear what would happen to Heymann's role at the top of the organization as a result of the charge.

Efforts to reach her at her home in Chappaqua and at her office were not immediately successful.

Her husband, Thomas Heymann, would not comment on the charge, except to say, "She has done so much good."

Heymann was stopped by a town officer for crossing over the double yellow lines shortly before 11 p.m. last Monday.

She told a state trooper who made the arrest that she had just come from the Tango Grill in White Plains, where she drank three glasses of wine.

The trooper asked her to track a pen in his hand, which she could not do, according to the police report.

Heymann then refused to take any other field sobriety tests and refused three times to take a breath screening test, police said.

She was then charged with driving while intoxicated.

She was released to her husband and ordered to appear in court on Jan. 5.

She was just practicing her culture. I am sure MALDEF thinks this is racism and will sue to government for arresting her.