A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he crashed his vehicle in Stevenson Ranch and then disappeared from the scene.
The deputy’s patrol vehicle crashed around 9:30 p.m. Friday night near Pico Canyon Road and Southern Oaks Drive, the department said. Not long after the crash, the deputy was reported missing.
He was eventually located less than an hour later at his own home, according to the Santa Clarita Signal.
The Los Angeles Times identified the driver as Deputy Carlos Lopez, “a member of the department’s elite Special Enforcement Bureau, which includes SWAT.”
He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the Sheriff’s Department said, and was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries that were not considered to be significant.
Lopez, 50, was cited and released, jail records show.
Aerial footage from Sky5 Friday night showed what appeared to be the deputy being loaded into an ambulance.
Lopez has been relieved of duty as part of the ongoing investigation, the Sheriff’s Department said.
In a statement on Twitter, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he had “been notified of the incident.”
“I am taking this incident seriously and will ensure this matter is properly investigated. Until the investigation is completed, I cannot comment on what the outcome will be,” he added.
