Atlanta Police Lieutenant Accused Of DUI, Crashing Car In Paulding

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — Atlanta Police lieutenant Renato Anaya was arrested Sunday after being accused of driving under the influence and crashing his car into street signs in Paulding County, according to the Georgia State Patrol Tuesday.

Atlanta Police conducted an internal investigation and placed Anaya on "non-enforcement status," Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

Anaya is accused of crashing a black Nissan Xterra around midnight on Macland Road near Mount Tabor Church Road after not maintaining his eastbound lane and driving off the south shoulder, hitting a stop sign and a Paulding DOT sign.

A responding trooper smelled alcohol on Anaya's breath, and he admitted to drinking wine about four hours before the crash, the GSP said. Anaya's gear issued by the Atlanta Police Department and an open Modelo beer were found inside of the car, the GSP said.

After he was taken to the hospital for evaluation, Anaya said he was an APD officer, the GSP said. Authorities said his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred.

The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test (a field sobriety test) was attempted four times, but Anaya failed to follow instructions, the GSP said. A preliminary breath test was administered, and the breath sample returned positive for ethyl alcohol, the GSP said.

After Anaya consented to a blood test, the trooper returned to his car to retrieve a blood draw kit but was later told by nursing staff that Anaya left the hospital and went into a wooded area, the GSP said.

Deputies with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office and the Cobb County K-9 Unit assisted with the search, but they did not find Anaya, the GSP said. A Hiram police officer found Anaya around 5:33 a.m. at a Bill Carruth Parkway gas station near the hospital, the GSP said.

Anaya was arrested and taken to the Paulding County Jail on suspicion of DUI/alcohol/less safe, failure to maintain lane and possession of an open container in vehicle passenger area, the GSP said.

Patch has reached out to the APD for comment.