Community Corner

Sheriff's Deputy to Be Arraigned on Misdemeanor Charges

An off-duty Riverside County sheriff's deputy who allegedly became confrontational with two California Highway Patrol officers when they arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving will be arraigned next month on misdemeanor charges.

Brett Thomas Pendleton, 36, was arrested April 5 in an alcohol-related traffic stop on state Route 79. On Wednesday, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office filed two misdemeanor DUI charges -- along with an allegation of failing to submit to a law enforcement-administered chemical test -- against Pendleton.

The defendant, who is free on $3,500 bail, is slated to be arraigned before Superior Court Judge Raquel Marquez on June 5. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail, fines and probation.

The deputy, who works as a patrolman in the sheriff's west county division, was suspended from duty shortly after his arrest and remains on paid administrative leave.

CHP Officer Darren Meyer, a spokesman for the agency's San Gorgonio Pass office, said two highway patrol officers spotted Pendleton's 2007 GMC pickup truck on state Route 79, just south of Domenigoni Parkway, in Winchester around 2:50 a.m. on April 5 and "initiated a traffic stop for a vehicle code infraction."

After talking with the off-duty deputy, officers concluded he was under the influence of alcohol and placed him under arrest, according to Meyer.

Pendleton told the officers that he was a deputy.

"It doesn't make a difference," Meyer told City News Service. "You can't drink and drive."

He said Pendleton was in possession of a handgun, but the firearm was never displayed in a threatening manner. At some point during his arrest, however, the defendant made verbal threats and damaged the door of the patrol car, Meyer alleged, without going into detail. No one was injured.

—City News Service


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here