LAPD sergeant arrested for DUI after allegedly hitting 2 parked cars, fleeing

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles Police Department sergeant was booked for DUI after officials say he ran into two parked cars in Long Beach and fled.

Oscar Ontiveros is a 10-year veteran of the LAPD. He was in his personal vehicle on Tuesday night when he struck the two cars which were not occupied, officials said.

One of the cars was severely damaged.

"The front end was all bashed in. It was no little fender bender," says Gloria Valdez, who saw the wreck.

Ontiveros, 46, had been driving his personal vehicle. He was arrested for driving under the influence and hit and run without injury, both misdemeanors.

The arrests follows a series of DUI incidents involving high ranking LAPD officers.

In January, alarmed 911 callers reported a car barreling down the 405 Freeway without a wheel. The driver was allegedly LAPD Cmdr. Jeff Nolte. His wrecked department vehicle was found abandoned in Carson. He is now on home duty.

Last April, LAPD Sgt. James Kelly was arrested in Glendale for misdemeanor DUI. His passenger, Cmdr. Nicole Mehringer, was charged with one count of public intoxication. She's fighting termination.

Eyewitness News asked LAPD what measures are being taken to curb off-duty drunk driving and whether Ontiveros was in possession of a weapon at the time of the incident.

LAPD declined to comment except to say that Ontiveros is on desk duty and that a personnel investigation has been initiated.

Meantime in Long Beach, Valdez says she is bewildered by the actions of a law enforcement officer.

"That makes it even worse because you would think he would know better," says Valdez.