One month after a candidate for the Washington state House of Representatives was arrested under suspicion of DUI, newly released police video.
One month after a candidate for the Washington state House of Representatives was arrested on suspicion of DUI, newly released police video sheds new light on part of what happened.
Krista Perez is set to plead in court Friday to charges of DUI and a refusal enhancement, and it's raising questions about possible impacts on the general election in November.
The video from Aug. 11 shows Perez standing outside her vehicle with the airbag deployed in the driver's seat behind her. She told the Tacoma police officer she was heading home from a friend's business, but didn't remember crashing.
"Did you get into an accident here?" the officer asked.
"I did not," Perez responded.
Tacoma Municipal Court records state she crashed her truck into a parked car, which then caused a chain reaction and damaged multiple vehicles after midnight near Lincoln High School.
Officers wrote she emitted “a strong odor of alcohol,” and she even admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel.
"I had some wine while I was there," she said.
The video reveals she declined to take a field sobriety test, then acted confused about what was happening when she was placed in the back of the squad car in handcuffs.
"I don’t know what any of this means," she said.
The mother of two narrowly beat fellow Democrat and incumbent Melanie Morgan by hundreds of votes in the August primary a week earlier.
KOMO News asked voters what kind of impact a recent gross misdemeanor charge could have on her chances in the November general election.
"If she seeks help, there’s hope for her to continue to do her job," Kathryn Lebeau from Tacoma stated.
"At the end of the day it’s a choice, and she’s been making bad choices," Steven Bass from Tacoma added.
Political Analyst Sandeep Kaushik explained that taking ownership goes a long way.
"What can any political candidate do in a position like this to regain the public's trust?" KOMO News' Jackie Kent asked.
"I think they just have to be really honest. They have to be really humble," Kaushik explained.
He added that Perez's opponent has also faced past criticism for how she’s treated staff, along with other questions about ethics.
Perez's campaign did not respond to KOMO News' request for comment about the video and charges. Her attorney was in court on Thursday.
In Washington state, a first-time DUI is a gross misdemeanor that does not automatically prevent someone from serving or holding public office.
