Politico Busted on DUI
Santa Barbara – Former Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Iya Falcone—once a candidate for Santa Barbara Mayor and a longtime local political force—stands accused of driving under the influence pursuant to a collision that took place at a Mesa neighborhood shopping center just after 10:00 a.m. on September 19th.
Iya Falcone
According to Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood, a 911 Emergency call was received by police dispatch reporting a black BMW that had collided with a parked car and then drove away from the scene. Responding officers learned from eye witnesses that the driver of the BMW had driven the car away from the site of the collision and was parked across the street near the entrance of a liquor store.
“The officers located Ms. Falcone at the front of the store, walking away from the accident scene,” Harwood said in reporting the incident to the media, indicating that officers learned she was going to the store to buy cigarettes and wine.
Falcone’s BMW as impounded and she was placed under arrest on suspicion of DUI hit-and-run. After being transported in a SBPD squad car to police headquarters, Falcone was administered a chemical test which revealed her blood alcohol at .24, three times the legal limit. She was also found to be in possession of a number of prescription drugs but, according to Harwood, her field sobriety test revealed no signs of drug influence.
Falcone was not taken to jail for booking, but was instead issued a misdemeanor citation for DUI and hit-and-run, and released into the custody of another civilian.
With her court appearance on the DUI charges scheduled for October 25, 2012, local pundits are already flooding the media with inquiries as to the possibility of preferential treatment to Falcone, an outspoken political supporter of local law enforcement agencies.
Photos: courtesy Iya Falcone For Mayor, SBPD
Read more:
Noozhawk: Former Councilwoman Iya Falcone Arrested on Suspicion of DUI, Hit and Run
Santa Barbara Independent: Former Councilwoman Popped for DUI, Hit & Run
