2 Menifee Drivers Arrested, 24 Cited In DUI Checkpoint

MENIFEE, CA — Two people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during a DUI checkpoint conducted by the Menifee Police Department over the weekend.

Some 1,370 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, which was set up near the intersection of Newport Road and Murrieta Road on Saturday.

There, one person was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and another was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, the Menifee Police Department wrote in a statement.

The checkpoint was held from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and a total of 66 vehicles were stopped for suspected violations. Of those vehicles, 24 drivers were cited.

Additionally, eight drivers were cited for driving without a license and three cars were towed, the department said.

Checkpoint locations are typically set up where there have been a history of crashes and DUI arrests.

"The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired," Sergeant Dan Beare wrote in a news release. "The Menifee Police Department is 100% committed to preventing, deterring, and arresting impaired drivers in Menifee and it will continue to be a top priority."

Funding for the checkpoint comes from a grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.