A former Minneapolis City Council member who was a vocal proponent of defunding the police after the death of George Floyd was arrested late Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Alondra Espejel (who went by Alondra Cano during her two terms representing Ward 9) was arrested late Tuesday night following a property damage crash outside Minneapolis City Hall. Espejel was held in jail until Thursday, when she was charged with third-degree DWI– refusal to submit a breath test and fourth-degree DWI–operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
Espejel, 44, was uncooperative during the police encounter in downtown Minneapolis, which occurred after 11 p.m. Tuesday. Charges say she refused to provide identification to police while recording an officer, tried to flee in her vehicle, and eventually had to be pulled out of her vehicle for not complying.
Several witnesses told police they observed the events unfold and said Espejel pulled up behind a vehicle in a line of cars outside City Hall and began honking. Espejel then pulled out and accelerated down 4th Street and crashed into another vehicle. One witness who asked Espejel to stop said Espejel began recording him and told police he believed Espejel was intoxicated, so he called 911.
Officers observed that Espejel’s eyes were bloodshot, she had slurred speech, and there was an odor of a consumed alcoholic beverage emanating from her during the police encounter, charges say.
Espejel participated in some field sobriety tests, which she failed and was stumbling over herself, so the officer stopped the tests for her safety. Espejel was subsequently transported to MPD Chem Test but refused to supply a breath test. While at Chem Test, Espejel made comments about oral sex while the officer was trying to explain the breath test advisory. The comments were not detailed in the report.
Espejel was released from custody Thursday on $6,000 bond and is scheduled for her first court appearance on the charges on Nov. 13. No attorney for Espejel was listed in court records at the time of this report.
Espejel/Cano was a controversial figure during her two terms on the Minneapolis City Council from January 2014 to January 2022, when she was a lead proponent of dismantling the Minneapolis Police Department, and came under fire earlier in her term for attempting to publicly dox constituents who were critical of her BLM protest actions. She did not run for reelection in 2021 and was replaced by Jason Chavez.
– – –
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
