City Council Member Arrested On DUI Given Ride Home

Yakima Police records received by KIT News through an open records request show a Yakima City Council member was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence Sunday night after a crash at 16th Avenue and Tieton Drive.

Police say 29-year-old Carmen Mendez was driving her Malibu when it collided with a Chevy Suburban at the intersection. Two people in the Suburban were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The records from police indicate Mendez agreed to breath tests that showed she was driving with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. Specifically the records show Mendez agreed to two samples "with the results of 0.182 IR, 0.180 EC and 0.185 IR, 0.179 EC."
After all the procedures were finished, records show the officer removed Mendez from a holding cell and provided the City Council member "a courtesy transport home."
Mendez remains out of jail but unavailable for comment. And while Mendez was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence no charges have yet been filed by the Yakima County Prosecutor's Office.