CRIME & COURTS

Two WHO-TV reporters arrested for OWI

Regina Zilbermints
rzilbermin@dmreg.com

A long-time Des Moines television reporter and anchor was arrested for drunk driving over the weekend.

Sonya Heitshusen, a reporter with WHO-TV, was charged with first-offense OWI and driving on the wrong side of the street early Saturday morning.

Heitshusen, 47, of Des Moines was stopped shortly after 1 a.m. near Fifth Avenue and Walnut Street.

Sonya Heitshusen, 47.

She at first refused to exit her vehicle and refused any field sobriety tests or a preliminary breath test, authorities said.

Heitshusen had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and swayed and staggered as she stood, according to Des Moines police reports.

At the Des Moines police station, she stumbled and had to use the wall of the OWI testing room for balance and appeared to fumble and have trouble using her phone when she tried to place calls, police reports show.

Heitshusen again refused to take a breath test and was taken to the Polk County Jail, authorities said.

She has since been released.

Heitshusen works as a 5 p.m. news reporter and anchor for Channel 13. She also worked for WOI-TV from 1991 to 2001, left journalism briefly, then returned to work at WHO-TV, according to her profile on the WHO-TV website. She has won five Emmy's and multiple other awards.

Heitshusen was the second WHO-TV reporter to be arrested in as many days.

Erik Wheater, 25, was charged with OWI.

Erik Wheater, 25, was charged with first-offense OWI early Friday morning.

Police pulled over the vehicle Wheater was driving near Second and Court avenues for not having a front license plate, authorities said.

Wheater seemed unsteady on his feet and fumbled looking for his license, registration and insurance, according to police reports. He failed several field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test showed a .125 percent blood alcohol level.

Wheater joined Channel 13 news in July 2012 and grew up in the Des Moines metro area. He is a general assignment reporter for WHO-TV. He also anchors the Saturday and Sunday morning newscasts.

A telephone call to the station's news director has not yet been returned.