La Mesa Officials To Discuss If Mayor Given Special Treatment

LA MESA, Calif. -- At the urging of three city council members, La Mesa officials are expected to publicly discuss Tuesday night whether police gave Mayor Art Madrid special treatment when he was found allegedly drunk in public.

Discussion of the Feb. 20 incident is not on Tuesdays official council agenda but Councilmembers Ernie Ewin, Dave Allan and Ruth Sterling have called for a public discussion of the matter, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Police found Madrid lying on a sidewalk near his sport utility vehicle about a block from his home around 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday and decided to take him home without giving him a sobriety test.

La Mesa finance department employee Trisha Turner was in the driver's seat and also was dropped off at home, apparently drunk, 10News reported.

A 10News story reported that Madrid had drunk in excess that night to mark the 19-year anniversary of his son's death from cancer.

"I've done what I am supposed to as far as I'm concerned," Madrid told the newspaper. "I went ahead and made the appropriate apologies."

La Mesa Police Chief Alan Lanning told the Union-Tribune that his officers did not know who Madrid was until they checked his identification. He said they would have done the same thing for anyone else in that situation.

Councilman Mark Arapostathis, one of two council members not pressing for the public discussion, accepts that explanation.

But Allan told the newspaper it is important to have an open discussion even if there was no wrongdoing.

The council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 8130 Allison Ave.