News: Fire chief arrested, accused of DUI, Child cruelty

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

News: Fire chief arrested, accused of DUI, Child cruelty

Rincon Reservation fire chief arrested, accused of DUI
By Kristina Davis UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
VISTA – The fire chief for the Rincon Reservation Fire Department was arrested Monday morning and accused of drunk driving after he crashed and rolled his command vehicle while taking his children to school, authorities said Tuesday.
Gerad F. Rodriguez, 47, was booked into Vista jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and child cruelty. He was released seven hours later after posting $12,500 in bail, according to the Sheriff's Department.
The District Attorney's Office has not yet filed charges in the case.
Rodriguez was driving his department-issued sports utility vehicle west on state Route 76 near Pauma Valley Road at 8:50 a.m. when he swerved and the vehicle rolled over, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Kerns. Rodriguez suffered minor injuries. His four young children, ranging in ages 4 to 12, were unhurt.
After completing a field sobriety test, Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of .08 percent.
The Rincon Indian band council will look into the incident sometime this week, Rincon spokeswoman Nikki Symington said Tuesday. “After reviewing the police reports and talking to him, they will decide if there will be disciplinary action and what that might be,” Symington said. “In the interim, Gerad has put himself on administrative leave.”
Attempts to reach Rodriguez Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Rodriguez, a Rincon tribal member, has worked part-time as fire chief since 2006, when the new fire station opened on Valley Center Road.
He is also currently employed as a firefighter/paramedic with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, where he was worked for the past 21 years. He is assigned to Station 40 in Rancho Peñasquitos, said San Diego fire department spokesman Maurice Luque. He declined to discuss whether the city would take disciplinary action against Rodriguez, saying it was a personnel matter.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007