SACRAMANDO, Calif. (AP) — A California lawmaker denied any alcohol in her system after Sacramento police allegedly suspected of driving drunk earlier this week.
Department spokesman Allison Smith said Sacramento police responded to reports of a car accident involving state Senator Sabrina Cervantes at about 1:30 p.m. Monday. Smith said Cervantes was taken to the hospital by a private party and received treatment for minor injuries.
Smith said officers also went to the hospital as part of an investigation into the incident. She said they observed “objective signs of poisoning” and cited her citations for alleged DUI.
Cervantes, a Democrat representing part of the Inland Empire, claimed no misconduct. She said she was seeking care in the emergency room after the car crash. She said that later, Sacramento police “assisted” her, who accused her of driving under the influence and detaining for several hours.
Cervantes was elected the state Senate last year after serving in parliament for many years. She previously chaired the Latino Legislative Cauldron.
Cervantes said the “lab results” she sought in the hospital showed that there was no alcohol in her system. Smith said police did not conduct an exhalation test.
“This ordeal is painful and makes me even more shaken,” Cervantes said in a statement. “As a senator, wife and mother, I stick to the highest standards and expect others who provide the same for our community.”
The incident was first reported by Politico, marking the latest time in recent years in California, where a Democratic state legislator was suspected of being driven by local authorities. U.S. Rep. Dave Min, who was then a state senator, was arrested in 2023 for being affected. They all acknowledge misconduct.
