Comedian Paul Rodriguez faces fresh allegations of narcotics possession after being arrested on similar charges less than five months ago in the same city.
Burbank police arrested the 70-year-old “Blood Work” and “Rat Race” actor around 8:30 p.m. Monday at a parking structure in the city’s downtown area, police Sgt. Stephen Turner confirmed to The Times on Thursday. Rodriguez was booked later at Burbank City Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor narcotics possession.
He was released early Tuesday morning with a citation and is due in court Sept. 5. A legal representative for Rodriguez did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday.
Police showed up at the parking structure for a welfare check after a witness voiced concern about a man and woman leaving a restaurant in the area. According to Turner, the witness told police the woman and the man, later identified as Rodriguez, were “under the influence and not alert.” Officers located people who matched the witness’ description in a vehicle in the structure. Rodriguez was in the driver’s seat and a woman was in the front passenger seat.
“The investigation led to the discovery of alprazolam [Xanax] and heroin inside of the female’s personal bag,” Turner said, adding that the woman was arrested on suspicion of drug possession.
Officers also allegedly found Xanax and “suspected fentanyl” in Rodriguez’s vehicle. The actor said the drugs weren’t his, Turner said.
The details of Rodriguez’s arrest Monday echo those from his previous arrest in Burbank in March. The “A Million Little Things” actor was arrested after police allegedly found narcotics in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Rodriguez disputed law enforcement’s recounting of the incident, telling TMZ in March that he was sleeping in the passenger seat when a “Caucasian” officer on a “power trip” slapped him to wake him up. Rodriguez told the outlet that the drugs belonged to the person who was driving.
At the time, Rodriguez’s attorney Bobby Samini called the charges against his client false and said the comic’s arrest and treatment by police were a “violation of his civil rights.”
“He fully cooperated with law enforcement at all times,” Samini said in March. “Law enforcement asserted that the driver of the vehicle was in possession of a controlled substance. Mr. Rodriguez did not have any controlled substance in his possession, nor was he under the influence of any controlled substance.”
Rodriguez, who was born in Mexico and raised in East Los Angeles, began his career at L.A. comedy clubs in the late 1970s and has written and starred in numerous comedy specials. His résumé also includes hosting gigs for Univision and MTV programs and roles in films “Made in America,” “Tortilla Soup” and “The World’s Fastest Indian.”
Times senior Sacramento reporter Taryn Luna contributed to this article.
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