Former Minneapolis Councilwoman Charged With DWI After Trying To Flee Crash, Police Say

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Former Minneapolis City Council member Alondra Espejel, who also went by Alondra Cano and once supported efforts to abolish the city’s police department, remains jailed following her arrest in a downtown crash, according to Hennepin County jail and court records.

Espejel, 44, was booked into the Hennepin County Jail just before midnight on Oct. 28 after police said she struck a parked vehicle near 315 4th Street South and showed signs of intoxication. Officers reported she refused to identify herself, attempted to drive away, and had to be removed from her vehicle.

She was formally charged Thursday with third-degree DWI — refusal to submit to a chemical test and fourth-degree DWI — driving under the influence of alcohol. Her bail was set at $6,000.

As of Thursday, she remained housed at the Hennepin County Jail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 13 in downtown Minneapolis.

According to the criminal complaint, Espejel’s speech was slurred, her eyes were bloodshot, and she smelled strongly of alcohol. Police noted she struggled with balance during field sobriety testing and refused to take a breath test after being read the state’s Breath Test Advisory.

Espejel was first elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2013, representing Ward 9, and served until 2022 after choosing not to seek re-election. During her tenure, she joined several colleagues in calling for the Minneapolis Police Department to be dismantled after George Floyd’s killing in 2020, the Star Tribune reported.

The proposal ultimately failed after public opposition grew in Minneapolis.

Criminal complaint

According to the complaint, officers were called to a crash shortly after 11 p.m. Oct. 29 near 315 4th Street South in downtown Minneapolis. A woman told police her parked vehicle was hit by a Honda CR-V driven by Espejel.

Officers said Espejel refused to identify herself, ignored repeated commands, and attempted to drive away. One officer reached into the vehicle to turn off the ignition, and Espejel was eventually removed from the car after continued refusals to exit.

Witnesses told officers they saw Espejel honking, pulling out of a line of traffic, and accelerating before hitting another car.

An officer reported that Espejel failed multiple field sobriety tests and had to stop for safety reasons after stumbling and struggling to follow directions. At the police testing facility, she was read the Breath Test Advisory but refused to take a breath test, saying she wanted her lawyer present. The refusal was recorded as a test refusal under Minnesota law, the complaint states.