Texas State Senator Jose Menendez and his chief of staff have parted ways, weeks after the staff member was arrested in San Antonio on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, a spokeswoman for the senator confirmed Wednesday.
Tomas Larralde, 52, was charged with DWI March 27, after a San Antonio police officer found him asleep in a running vehicle in a parking lot in the 200 block of N. Loop 1604 East just before 3 a.m.
Recommended Videos
The vehicle was still running and the headlights were on while it was parked outside of a closed establishment, according to a blood draw warrant from the case.
Larralde, whose first name is spelled as both Tomas and Thomas in various public records, had to be woken up by the arresting officer, records show.
He failed a subsequent field sobriety test, according to SAPD officials.
A spokeswoman for the senator confirmed Wednesday that Menendez and Larralde parted ways April 16, just over a week after the KSAT 12 Defenders reported Larralde’s arrest.
The spokeswoman did not respond to a follow up question asking whether Larralde resigned or was terminated.
Menendez, in a written statement released the day Larralde’s arrest was reported by KSAT, said he was aware of the allegations and would await the completion of the investigation, before making a final determination on Larralde’s continued employment.
Larralde was paid a salary of $110,000 a year, according to the Texas Tribune’s government salary database.