Azusa Police Department
One of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's top deputies was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of public intoxication, the Azusa Police Department said Tuesday.
Joseph Iniguez, Gascón's chief of staff, was a passenger in a car that was pulled over at approximately 11:30 p.m. on December 11, and was arrested.
The Azusa Police Department said in a written statement Iniguez was released a short time later, and said a complaint against an officer was made as a result of the incident.
Alex Bastian, Special Advisor to Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, said the arrest was a personnel matter and he was unable to comment in detail.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
"We are aware of the incident. The District Attorney has the utmost confidence in Joseph," Bastian said.
As chief of staff, Iniguez, 36, oversees a variety of special units, including the DA's Justice System Integrity Division, which is responsible for prosecuting police officers and maintaining the index of officers with histories of serious misconduct, according to the DA Office's most recent official organization chart.
The L.A. Times reported Iniguez told a reporter in an interview that he was leaving a wedding when the car was stopped, and said he got out to record the Azusa Police officers using his cellphone.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Iniguez did not respond to an inquiry from NBC LA.
