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LA budget analyst charged with 2 misdemeanor DUI counts
Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana was charged today with two misdemeanor DUI counts stemming from his arrest while driving home from a charity dinner last month.
Santana, 40, is scheduled to be arraigned May 25 in West Covina Superior Court on one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence and driving while having a blood-alcohol level of higher than the legal limit of .08 percent, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Santana took a leave of absence following his arrest last month, but has since returned to work.
"I apologize to my family, friends, the mayor, City Council, CAO staff and the entire city family for my irresponsible behavior,'' Santana said in a statement released last month after his arrest about 12:15 a.m. March 26.
He was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol in the Covina area after he attended a charity roast for Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, then freed on $5,000 bond.
Santana was initially stopped for speeding, but was arrested after failing a sobriety test, according to the CHP.
Before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed him to serve as CAO last June, Santana served as deputy chief executive officer of Los Angeles County and as an aide to county Supervisor Gloria Molina.
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He was the first Latino to oversee the city's fiscal affairs and $6.7 billion budget.
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