Christina Aguilera arrested for suspicion of public intoxication
Boyfriend arrested for DUI
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Singer Christina Aguilera was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication today when she was found "incapacitated'' in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by her boyfriend, who was arrested for alleged drunken driving.
The vehicle, driven by Matthew Rutler, was stopped by deputies around 2:45 a.m. near Sunset Boulevard and Clark Street in West Hollywood, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
Deputies saw Rutler "driving erratically'' and pulled him over, Whitmore said.
Rutler, 25, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol, and was held in lieu of $5,000 bail at the sheriff's West Hollywood Station, Whitmore said. The sheriff's website showed bail set at $30,000.
Aguilera, 30, was booked at the West Hollywood Station about 3:30 a.m., Whitmore said. She was released at about 7:30 a.m. on $250 bail and a friend picked her up, he said.
Whitmore said the pop star will not have to make a court appearance, and the sheriff's department had no intention of pursuing charges against her.
Whitmore said she was arrested under a law covering "public welfare, public safety.''
"She was not capable of taking care of herself,'' Whitmore said. "She was incapacitated. She was cooperative. She was not belligerent in any way whatsoever; she was just intoxicated.
"So, what we do is that we do, indeed, arrest the individual on a misdemeanor—public intoxication —but we have no desire to prosecute. None whatsoever. It is just for a public welfare, public safety issue,'' Whitmore said.
"So, she was brought here, and then when she was able to navigate, and think on her own, and make her own way, she was released at about 7:30 this morning,'' Whitmore said. "As she got better, she said, `I would just like to leave.' So, that's what happened.''
Whitmore said the arrest would be on Aguilera's record, but the record would also show that "there was never the intent to prosecute.''
Aguilera made headlines last month when she botched the words of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Days later, she reached a divorce settlement and custody agreement with estranged husband Jordan Bratman. Their divorce is expected to be finalized next month. The couple have a son together.
The New York native starred alongside Cher last year in the musical film "Burlesque,'' and she performed at last month's Grammy Awards at Staples Center.
For a decade, 0.08 has been the blood alcohol benchmark to consider a driver intoxicated
National Transportation Safety Board would like to see a nationwide 0.05 level
The board would also like to see swifter action on taking away offenders’ licenses
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Deputies handcuffed singer Bobby Brown and led him from a courtroom to a jail cell Wednesday morning, as Whitney Houston's ex-husband began serving time for a drunken driving conviction.
Although the judge sentenced Brown to 55 days behind bars for his second conviction in a year for driving under the influence, he will likely be free in eight or nine days, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore.
Alicia Keys has been tapped to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl XLVII.
The “Girl on Fire” songstress will belt out “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the pregame fun at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. You’ll catch her performance prior to kickoff.
This is Keys’ third time participating in the Super Bowl. She joins a long list of legends who have sung the nation’s anthem ahead of the big game, including Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey and more.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Los Angeles Police Department officers will staff two sobriety/driver’s license checkpoints this weekend, beginning tonight, in an ongoing effort to combat drunken driving.
From 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Saturday, officers will run a checkpoint at La Cienega Boulevard between Rosewood and Oakwood avenues near West Hollywood.
And from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, there will be a checkpoint on Manchester Avenue between Main Street and Broadway in South Los Angeles.
SANTA ANA, Calif.—The sentencing of a former Orange County sheriff's deputy who pleaded guilty to several DUI charges stemming from a collision that injured a 78-year-old woman was postponed today because he looked too intoxicated to go through with the hearing, a prosecutor said.
Allan James Waters pleaded guilty April 7 to charges related to the collision as part of a plea bargain approved by Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Fasel. The judge told him he would not face a prison sentence longer than 15 months.
