The crash happened shortly after midnight Friday on Monterey Road near Montecito Heights, according to Los Angeles police. The call came in at 12:20 a.m. and she was arrested an hour later.
Carrillo, who is currently running against Kevin de León for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, crashed into several parked cars and the sidewalk. No injuries were reported.
A witness who spoke with ABC7 said he was visiting friends in the area when his vehicle was struck.
“A very loud and huge detonation, then heard as a skid,” he described. “There are accidents that happen here all the time, so we knew right away that it was definitely a car accident.”
He remembers seeing Carrillo in his vehicle on the street.
“As soon as we looked out the balcony, you could see her Audi was in the middle of the street, and the airbags deployed, and she was in there and you could see her moving and everything. We went out and asked her if she was okay., she was making hand gestures like everything was okay, thumbs up and all that. As soon as she got out of the car and started talking to us, it was very clear to me, in as a non-expert, that she was drunk.” You could smell the alcohol. She had difficulty speaking. She was very weak. “
In a video obtained by Eyewitness News, you can see LAPD officers performing field sobriety tests. At one point, the video shows an intervening officer explaining to a witness why he chose to take the tests in private.
“It is the policy of the LAPD to be completely transparent with the public. It has come to my attention that this individual is an elected official in the State Senate. So sometimes for people who are considered to be, for lack of a better term, a dignitary “We allow them to conduct the investigation in a private space. That doesn’t change the fact that she drank. She was involved in an accident. “
WATCH | LAPD officer speaks with witness at scene of Wendy Carrillo DUI crash
LAPD officer speaks with witness at scene of Wendy Carrillo DUI crash
Carrillo has since released a statement, saying she is cooperating with law enforcement.
“As a public servant, I am aware that I must meet higher standards that require personal responsibility for my conduct and I accept responsibility for my actions. I sincerely apologize to my family, my constituents, my colleagues and my staff for all my actions that fell short of this expectation. I intend to seek the necessary help and support. In doing so, I remain dedicated to my family, my constituents, and the community I grew up in and am proud to represent.
The 43-year-old man was released without bail.