Two weeks after he crashed his pickup truck into a car filled with four teenage cheerleaders, former Murrieta Mayor Alan William Long was charged with felony DUI Thursday.
Long, who resigned his post several days after the Oct. 16 crash, was charged with one felony count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced.
An investigation by the Murrieta Police Department revealed that Long’s blood-alcohol content was 0.08 percent, the legal limit in California, according to the DA’s office. Police had previously said two preliminary in-field tests revealed Long to be at and just below the legal limit, and that he failed a physical field sobriety test.
Four female students at Murrieta Valley High School between age 14 and 17 were injured in the crash, which led to Long’s arrest.
In announcing his resignation, 44-year-old Long maintained that he would be “exonerated” once the facts of the case came to light. He has continued to seek a second term in the Nov. 4 election.
Supporters called his behavior out of character, with one fellow council member saying he had never seen Long take a drink.
Long was facing four sentencing enhancements, one for each crash victim: one of causing great bodily injury and three of causing bodily injury.
Long’s arraignment was scheduled for Dec. 11 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Long is a battalion chief with Anaheim’s city fire department. He appeared in the national spotlight over the summer when he spoke in support of anti-immigration protesters who opposed the busing of immigrants to a federal facility in Murrieta.