CHP: State Senator Arrested Under For DUI While Driving State Vehicle
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A Democratic California State Senator from San Diego has been arrested in Sacramento under suspicion of DUI early Friday morning.
According to the Sacramento County Jail booking logs, 44-year-old Benjamin Hueso was booked at 3:27 a.m. Friday. California Highway Patrol confirms that they arrested the state senator.
Officer Julie Powell, a CHP representative, says that Hueso was driving a state vehicle when he was arrested. Hueso was reportedly driving the wrong way on 15th Street when he happened upon an officer. Hueso then did a u-turn in front of the officer, CHP says, before the officer eventually pulled him over in a parking lot at 15th and X Streets. He was arrested at 2:39 a.m., according to CHP.
Hueso was booked on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.
Late Friday morning, Hueso was released from custody. His office has since released the following statement from the senator:
"I am truly and profoundly sorry for the unacceptably poor personal judgment which I demonstrated last night. As someone who cares deeply about the public safety, I sincerely apologize to my family, my constituents and my colleagues in the Senate for breaching the trust they've all placed in me. I accept complete personal responsibility for my actions and any punishments that ultimately come my way as a result of this incident. I will also engage in immediate, corrective actions to ensure this kind of personal conduct is never repeated."
Hueso was elected to California's 40th Senate District – representing a number of areas in San Diego – back in March 2013. He previously served in the assembly, representing the 80th District, from 2010 to 2013.
