Attorney: Murrieta Mayor Concerned for Students' Well-Being, Blood Alcohol Was 'Well Below' Legal Limit

Murrieta Mayor Alan Long has retained Riverside Attorney Virginia Blumenthal following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

He has since issued a statement via the attorney.

Here’s the press release with the statement in its entirety, released to Patch by Blumenthal on Friday evening:

Murrieta Mayor Alan Long was involved in a rear end collision Thursday evening that resulted in injuries to four students. Mr. Long rendered aid at the scene to each of the juveniles in the other car. He spoke with each of the parents who arrived at the scene. The juveniles’ car was making a left hand turn and Mr. Long was traveling at approximately 25 MPH at the time of the collision. When officers of the Murrieta Police Department arrived, he cooperated fully with them in their investigation. It is believed that all of the juveniles were treated at the hospital and released.

Although the preliminary investigation disclosed Mr. Long’s blood alcohol percentage was well below the legal limit of .08-percent, the police nevertheless arrested him for driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing injury to others.

“No special favors were extended to the Murrieta Mayor by the city’s police department, and the mayor did not request any special favors in the handling of his case. The police did their job as Mr. Long would expect them to do. No charges have yet been filed. There is obviously no conviction and the investigation into this accident is continuing” said Virginia M. Blumenthal, his attorney.

“Mr. Long expresses his deep concern for the safety and well-being of those who may have been injured in the accident. He extends his sincere apologies for this accident to each of them and to their families, as well as to the citizens of the City of Murrieta,” said Ms. Blumenthal. “Mr. Long has never been arrested before and has never been at fault in an accident. It is my firm belief that while there has been an accident, there was no crime committed.”

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