SILVER CITY, N.M. (KRQE) – A now former New Mexico District Attorney landed herself in trouble, again. And once again, she’s accused of driving recklessly and putting others in danger. But this time, she was arrested.
Related Coverage:
- Video shows Silver City, State Police ignore DWI investigation of district attorney
- Police chief: No charges against District Attorney Estevez in alleged DWI case
- DA accused of reckless driving, prosecutors ask to move trial to Las Cruces
- DA Francesca Estevez pleads guilty to reckless driving, disorderly conduct
- Judge throws out witness comments made about Silver City DA
Grant County Sheriff’s Deputies said former District Attorney Francesca Estevez weaved into the wrong lane Friday morning and almost hit cars right in front of deputies. The Sheriff said when they stopped her, she pulled over in the middle of the road and they suspected she was impaired. “This is the first time I’ve been arrested,” said Estevez on the lapel video.
It’s at least the second time the former Grant County District Attorney, Francesca Estevez, crossed paths with law enforcement about her erratic driving. “There were a couple of vehicles that the driver at the time almost hit,” said Grant County Sheriff, Frank Gomez.
Friday morning, the Sheriff said they got a call about a reckless driver heading into Silver City. Lapel video shows deputies speaking with Estevez after pulling her over.
“I was observing your driving Francesca, when we were coming over here,” said a deputy. “You swerved into the oncoming lane of traffic almost hitting a vehicle right now and when I pulled you over, you ran on top of the sidewalk over here and you almost hit the traffic light right there.”
“Well, I don’t know what to say, ” responded Estevez. The Sheriff said his deputies suspected she was impaired.
“I’m going to ask you if you’re willing to do a standard field sobriety tests,” said a deputy.
“Are you kidding me,” responded Estevez. According to deputies, she didn’t do too well on the sobriety tests, almost stumbling over during one test. She claimed she hadn’t had anything to drink but told deputies she took pills las night and this morning. She was arrested and booked into jail.
You might remember in 2016, witness video captured Estevez’s state-owned car weaving all over the highway. Silver City Police body cameras showed officers talking about how they thought she might have been impaired.
“What do you think,” asked one officer in 2016.
“She’s loaded, she almost fell down,” said another officer in 2016.
She wasn’t given a sobriety test and wasn’t arrested. The Attorney General charged her a year later with ethics and driving charges. “It’s disappointing,” said Sheriff Gomez. The Grant County Sheriff said in this most recent incident, she refused to take a blood test.
So far, Estevez has been charged with one count of aggravated driving under the influence. She served two terms as DA before leaving office. As for the 2016 case, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation.
