Hope Solo was found passed out behind the wheel of her car in a Walmart parking lot with her two-year-old twins sitting in the back seat according to police.
The former US women’s soccer goalkeeper was arrested on Friday in North Carolina on charges of misdemeanor child abuse, resisting a public officer, and driving while impaired.
According to a police report, Solo was alleged to have been unconscious for more than an hour with the vehicle’s engine running when a passerby noticed her, along with her two kids in the back seat.
A Winston-Salem police department officer who arrived at the scene could reportedly smell alcohol on her breath, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Associated Press.
Solo is alleged to have rejected a field sobriety test, and a blood sample was taken instead.
Hope Solo says she will ‘share the facts in due time’
The 40-year-old athlete was released from jail and is set to appear in court on June 28.
Rich Nichols, Hope’s attorney, posted a now-deleted statement on Solo’s Instagram account Friday, according to Buzzfeed, which appeared to suggest that there was more to the story regarding how her arrest panned out.
“On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges,” Nichols reportedly said.
Solo has since posted her own statement on Instagram, which also appeared to suggest more details would emerge. The post also saw her thank those who offered her support, and gave an update on her children.
“Our family is strong and surrounded by love. Our kids are strong, intelligent, happy and vibrant, and we are present everyday giving them the best life possible,” she wrote.
She added that her children were playing outside in the sun and enjoying the weather and that she “will be able to share the facts in due time.”
Solo is married to former NFL player Jerramy Stevens. They share a pair of twins born in 2020 after eight years of marriage.
Hope Solo and husband have had past run-ins with the law
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and her husband have both faced legal issues in the past.
In 2004, she was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault for allegedly attacking her nephew and half-sister.
The athlete claimed she was defending herself, and the charges were later dismissed.
Meanwhile, her husband was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of a DUI. Solo was handed a 30-day suspension from the U.S. national soccer team for what officials saw as poor judgment in entering the vehicle and arguing with the police.
Solo is expected to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 21. However, it is unclear whether her latest arrest will impact her scheduled induction.