The District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that six misdemeanor charges have been filed against local celebrity and TV anchor Paula Lopez after she allegedly drove drunk the wrong way on the freeway and resisted a peace officer during the arrest last month.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP), working with Sheriff’s personnel, tracked down Lopez’s silver Toyota Prius at the Sandpiper Golf Course parking lot in Goleta after calls came in about the car traveling southbound in the northbound traffic lanes at about 8 p.m. on September 6. Lopez, who is 50 and anchored the evening news for KCOY, an affiliate of KEYT, allegedly had a blood alcohol content of at least twice the legal limit, according to the DA’s office.
Lopez kicked two officers, resisted arrest, and refused to take a Breathalyzer test, according to the CHP. Her blood was later drawn. Lopez was released from custody the following day on her own recognizance because, among other factors, she was not determined to be a flight risk and has ties to the community, according to the Sheriff’s Office.