The arraignment hearing for a former television news anchor facing DUI and battery charges has been continued until next year, although a prosecutor on the case said a resolution may be in the works.
Paula Lopez Ochoa, who worked for KEYT for decades and more recently anchored for sister station KCOY, is facing six misdemeanor charges after being arrested Sept. 8 for allegedly driving under the influence and assaulting peace officers in Goleta.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office maintains that Lopez’s blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was more than twice the limit at which a person is presumed drunk under the law.
Lopez was not in court Friday, but was represented by her attorney, Steven Andrade, before Judge Thomas Anderle, who agreed that Ochoa’s case could be continued until January 8, 2016.
“There are additional reports being prepared, and there are discussions ongoing about a possible resolution,” Deputy District Attorney John Savrnoch told Noozhawk.
News of Lopez’s arrest came after California Highway Patrol officials received a report of a wrong-way driver on Highway 101 west of Goleta.
Authorities said a silver Toyota Prius driven by Lopez had been traveling southbound in the northbound lanes in the area of El Capitán State Beach.
The car was located in the parking lot of Sandpiper Golf Course in Goleta, and Lopez was arrested, according to authorities.
She was released from County Jail custody the next day.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
