Police on Friday arrested Californian assemblywoman and Los Angeles city council candidate Wendy Carrillo on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI), according to multiple reports.
The 43-year-old politician confirmed in a statement that she had crashed into parked cars prior to her arrest, Politico reported, but that no one was harmed and she was cooperating with police. Los Angeles police officers responded to a collision at roughly 12:20 a.m. and subsequently brought Carrillo into custody on a misdemeanor offense, according to jail records cited by the Associated Press (AP). (RELATED: Video Shows Driver Smash Head-First Through Passenger Window After High Speed Chase)
NEW: Assembly member and LA City Council candidate @wendycarrillo was arrested earlier this morning:https://t.co/ui5MdNnx1Y
— Jeremy B. White (@JeremyBWhite) November 3, 2023
“As a public servant, I am aware that I must adhere to a higher standard that demands personal accountability for my conduct and I accept responsibility for my actions,” Carrillo said in her press statement, AP reported. “I sincerely apologize to my family, constituents, colleagues and staff for any actions of mine that have fallen short of that expectation. I intend to seek the necessary help and support.”
Carrillo’s statement did not comment directly on the alleged DUI charge.
Carrillo is one of many candidates running for the council seat against the current incumbent Kevin de Léon.
De Léon suffered a scandal in October 2022, when audio leaked of him in conversation with others allegedly making derogatory and racist remarks, CBS News reported. Both de Léon and Carrillo are members of the Democratic Party.
De Léon is seemingly seeking to come back from the political wilderness the leaked tapes have placed him in. “When a lot of people that I called my friends and allies turned away from me [after the tape leaked], my constituents had my back,” de Leon told Politico on what has motivated him to run for reelection. “I understood in a deeper way the relationship that I had with my community and how that motivates and drives me. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m running.”
Carrillo’s reported arrest is the second time a Democratic politician has been arrested on a DUI charge in 2023, according to Politico.