IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Murrieta Mayor Alan Long has resigned from the city council in the wake of his arrest last week for allegedly causing an accident while driving drunk.
Long, who said he still plans to seek a council seat in the Nov. 4 election, predicted that he will be cleared of the criminal charges against him, according to published reports.
Long stepped down Monday because he believed continuing to serve on the council would create a distraction, the report stated.
The 44-year-old former office holder faces felony charges in connection with an accident last week in which four Murrieta Valley High School students suffered moderate to major injuries.
One of the four victims remained in the hospital Monday. Long showed signs of alcohol impairment but had a blood-alcohol level of 0.07 percent, just below the legal limit of 0.8 percent, the report stated.
Long, a battalion chief with the Anaheim Fire Department and a 16-year department veteran, was released on bail. Prosecutors could spend several months deciding whether to file charges.
