Later this month, TV reporter Melissa Mahan will replace former evening anchor and local celebrity Paula Lopez on KCOY 12 Central Coast News.
In September, Lopez, 50, was arrested for DUI and battery on a peace officer after she allegedly drove the wrong way on Highway 101, and then resisted arrest, kicking two CHP officers after they pulled her over in the Sandpiper Golf Course parking lot. Lopez was released on her own recognizance the day after her arrest because, among several reasons, she had ties to the community, according to Sheriff’s officials. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Lopez’s name no longer appears on the staff list on the station’s website; station general manager Mark Danielson declined to comment.