The former head of the state’s Office of Drug Abuse Services and Support was arrested last week in Queens for drunk driving, after she was allegedly so intoxicated that she crashed into a parked car and urinated on herself.
Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, 68, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.20, 2.5 times the legal limit of 0.08, and she yelled “officer” at the officer who pulled her over, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Monday.
The former police chief, who retired from his top job in 2021 after 10 years, was charged Saturday with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving the scene of an accident and other charges after his arrest Friday night on a quiet residential street in Auburndale, according to the prosecutor’s office.
NYPD Officer Christopher Macialek wrote in the complaint that he heard a loud crash near the intersection of 50th Street and Weeks Lane around 10:15 p.m., and then noticed several parked vehicles with severely damaged bumpers.
Macialek then saw Gonzalez-Sanchez sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2001 Toyota 4Runner, which also had damage to both corner panels, according to the lawsuit.
According to court documents, the defendant watched as she tried to flee in her vehicle, but then drove over the curb and landed on the sidewalk.
According to the criminal complaint, Macialek approached Gonzalez-Sanchez’s vehicle and noticed she smelled of alcohol, had watery eyes and was slurring her speech.
He put her car in park, removed the keys and helped her out of the SUV, at which point she allegedly urinated on him.
He said she also said the word “commissioner” to him, according to the lawsuit.
Macialek allegedly took her back to the 112th Precinct, where a blood alcohol content test came back at 0.20.
Gonzalez-Sanchez, who did not respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment Monday, is a licensed social worker who led the state’s Office of Addiction Services and Support for nearly a decade.
Appointed by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo on January 3, 2011, she had more than 30 years of experience in behavioral health services administration, health policy development and medical research. According to her online profile.
She was removed from her position in September 2021 when Gov. Kathy Hawkle began a purge of many of her predecessor’s appointees.
Ms. Gonzalez-Sanchez has three degrees: a Bachelor’s in Biology and a Master’s in Cellular Biology from Fordham University and a Master’s in Public Administration and Community Organizing from the School of Social Work at Hunger College.
She also served on several state and national committees, including as first vice president of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Supervisors.
Her arrest Monday came as a shock to those who remember her as a personable and well-liked administrator.
“I’m shocked. She’s a good woman,” Rob Kent, who served as general counsel in Gonzalez-Sanchez’s addiction office for nine years, told The Washington Post. “She’s a really good person. I’m sad that this happened.”
“It’s a bit of a surprise,” the Cuomo insider added.
Authorities released the former state commissioner after a hearing on Saturday, according to the local prosecutor.
She is due to appear in court again on August 5.
