Armendariz Licks His Wounds
Publicly Addresses DUI Arrest; Says He'll Stay on Council
Joe Armendariz, the embattled Carpinteria city councilmember arrested December 2 on allegations of his second drunk-driving incident, made his first public comments Monday night, saying alcohol is something he’s battled for much of the last 25 years.
Looking bruised, with noticeable swelling around his right eye and on the right side of his face, Armendariz, 44, spoke at the city council meeting of his emotional wounds. “My judgment was reprehensible; it was reckless; it was careless; it was thoughtless,” he said Monday. “It was unfair not only to those around me at the time, but to my family, especially my children, especially to my little daughter, to subject them to the ridicule and humiliation is unconscionable. It’s something that I will have to deal with.”
Armendariz, who also serves as executive director of both the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association and the Santa Barbara Technology and Industry Association, said that he has “a lot of power in certain areas of my life — I have no power when it comes to alcohol.” He spoke of how members of his family have struggled with bouts of alcoholism for years. Armendariz spoke publicly after a few members of the public addressed his behavior.
