Story summary
Krista Perez, a 40-year-old Democrat running for a state House seat in Washington's 29th Legislative District, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) early on August 11. She had won her party's primary on August 4 and will face incumbent Representative Melanie Morgan in November.
Perez's vehicle allegedly struck a parked car, causing damage to five vehicles in total. Bodycam footage shows Perez admitting she had consumed wine but declining field sobriety tests. In the back of the police cruiser, Perez was seen crying and praying while being arrested at around 12:30 AM.
She was booked into Pierce County Jail and released six hours later after posting bail. The incident has raised questions about ethics and conduct among elected officials in Washington State.
Written for “DUI Arrest For Politician Candidate” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Washington state Democrat Krista Perez, who is running for a state House seat, was seen on police video admitting to drinking wine, declining field sobriety tests and begging to go home before praying and crying in the back of a patrol car after her DUI arrest.
asserted
who → run → arrest
Perez finished first in last month’s primary in the 29th Legislative District, Position 1, and will face incumbent state Rep. Melanie Morgan, also a Democrat, in November, as the top two candidates advance to the general.
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candidates → finish → general
Tacoma Police said Perez’s 2019 Chevrolet Silverado allegedly struck a parked car on South G Street shortly after midnight on August 11, setting off a chain reaction that damaged five vehicles, according to The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.
uncertain
that → say → Red
Prosecutors charged her with DUI, with a refusal enhancement in connection with the collision and a later encounter with police.
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Prosecutors → charge → police
Body camera footage shows police questioning Perez after the crash and her subsequent arrest, while footage from the backseat of the patrol car shows her praying and sobbing, according to video obtained by The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red.
uncertain
her → show → Red
After police arrive at the scene, Perez told an officer she did not understand what was going on and claims she was not involved in an accident, the footage shows.
uncertain
footage → arrive → accident
“Did you get into an accident here?” the officer asks.
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officer → get → accident
“I did not,” Perez responded.
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Perez → do → ?
The officer then asked what happened.
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what → ask → ?
“I don’t know.
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I → know → ?
I’ve never been in an accident before,” she replied.
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she → reply → accident
She also said she switched insurers just weeks before the incident when asked for her documents.
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she → say → documents
She was able to tell the officer the name of the insurance company.
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She → tell → company
Perez told the officer she was driving from a friend’s business on Tacoma Avenue South when the collision happened.
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collision → tell → South
“Did you have anything to drink tonight?” the officer asked.
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officer → have → anything
“I just had some wine while I was there,” Perez replied.
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Perez → have → wine
Asked how much wine she had, Perez said she had one glass.
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she → ask → glass
When the officer asked how big the glass was, she told him, “I think you might need to contact the business.”
uncertain
you → ask → business
The officer then asked her to rate her sobriety on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being completely sober.
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zero → ask → 10
She first told the officer that she wants to go home.
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she → tell → officer
But when asked a second time, she rated herself a four.
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she → ask → herself
The officer then asked her to take standardized field sobriety tests but stated multiple times that the tests are optional.
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tests → ask → tests
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asserted
Report → start → news
“So it’s a series of tests that I take you through to make sure to see if you’re impaired by alcohol, or you’re not.
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you → ’ → alcohol
Are you okay with doing that?
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you → do → that
It’s totally voluntary,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
Perez declined the tests, kept saying she wanted to go home and repeatedly said that she was “confused.”
“Not right now.
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she → decline → tests
I’d like to go home first,” she said.
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she → like → ?
“You’re not going to go home first.
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You → go → ?
I’m going to tell you that right now, okay?
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I → go → that
So your options between the test, yes or no, that’s going to be determined tonight, right now, not when you go home.
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you → go → test
So would you like to take these tests or no?” the officer asked.
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officer → like → tests
Perez responded by asking if she was allowed to decline the tests.
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she → respond → tests
“You do have a choice.
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You → have → choice
You can either say yes, or you can say no.
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you → say → no
They’re totally voluntary tests,” the officer answered.
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officer → ’re → ?
“Yeah, I would like to go home first,” she replied.
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she → like → ?
The officer asked whether her answer meant she was declining the tests, and she said yes.
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she → ask → tests
She was then told she was under arrest for DUI and to put her hands behind her back.
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she → tell → back
Hold on,” she said.
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she → hold → ?
…and 11 more, not listed.
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