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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

West Covina mayor under investigation after being found unconscious in OC hotel

West Covina Mayor Mike Spence
West Covina Mayor Mike Spence
(
City of West Covina
)

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West Covina Mayor Mike Spence
West Covina Mayor Mike Spence
(
City of West Covina
)

The mayor of West Covina is under investigation by the Costa Mesa Police Department after he was found unconscious in a hotel room with controlled substances.

Police were called to the Holiday Inn Express on Newport Boulevard shortly after midnight on May 4 and found two people inside a room — including Mayor Mike Spence.

Spence was taken to a local hospital, but no arrests were made. The mayor has denied any wrongdoing.

Back in June 2016, Spence — then a city councilman — was charged with driving under the influence of drugs after he crashed his car into a utility pole in Covina, leaving him with serious injuries.

Spence has spoken in the past about his struggles with addiction, according to reporting from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

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