CA state Sen. Cervantes cited for DUI; lawmaker says police ‘accosted’ her

California state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes was cited for suspected driving under the influence after a collision near the state Capitol Monday, according to the Sacramento Police Department, but the south state lawmaker is denying the allegations.

Police were called about 1:30 p.m. Monday to 14th and S streets on a report that Cervantes, D-Riverside, was involved in a downtown wreck. Department officials said a private party took the Inland Empire lawmaker to a hospital with what police officials said were minor injuries.

Officers investigated the scene in the Richmond Grove neighborhood and interviewed Cervantes at the hospital, Officer Allison Smith, a department spokesperson, said in a statement.

“Responding officers contacted Senator Cervantes where they observed objective signs of intoxication and conducted a DUI investigation,” the statement read. “From their investigation, officers issued Senator Cervantes a citation for suspicion of DUI.”

Police said that she was cited for being under the influence of drugs.

Cervantes, 37, chair of the Senate Elections Committee who also sits on the Senate banking and transportation committees, has denied the allegations, saying in a statement provided to The Sacramento Bee that hospital lab results showed she was not under the influence of alcohol.

“I want to be clear: I did nothing wrong,” the Southern California lawmaker said. “The lab results I sought in the hospital show conclusively I had no alcohol in my system. I expect this to be quickly and justly resolved.”

Cervantes in the statement said her car was struck broadside by a large sport utility vehicle, prompting her trip to a hospital’s emergency room. She said Sacramento officers held her there for several hours.

“I was accosted by Sacramento Police Department officers, falsely accused of driving under the influence, and involuntarily detained for several hours at the hospital,” Cervantes said in the statement. “This ordeal was deeply distressing and left me even more shaken. As a Senator, wife and mother, I hold myself to the highest standard and expect others that serve our communities to do the same.”

Smith, the police spokesperson, said there was no indication Cervantes was accosted based on bodyworn camera footage of the officers’ interactions Monday.

“Officers conducted a thorough investigation and remained professional and respectful throughout it,” she said.

The Bee has requested video footage through a Public Records Act request.

The incident comes two years after another Democratic state senator, Dave Min of Irvine, was arrested for misdemeanor DUI in Sacramento.

Min was stopped by California Highway Patrol after officers observed his vehicle driving without headlights and running a red light downtown. He later acknowledged the arrest in a public statement, calling his decision to drive “irresponsible” and accepting full responsibility.

Min, who was a candidate for Congress at the time, went on to win the House election in November.

This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 11:17 AM.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.