KCOY anchor Paula Lopez arrested on suspicion of DUI

Update, 4 p.m.

Lopez was released from Santa Barbara County Jail on her own recognizance Monday afternoon, Santa Barbara sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.

Original story

KCOY television news anchor Paula Lopez Ochoa was arrested in Goleta on suspicion of DUI, assaulting an officer and resisting arrest after allegedly driving the wrong way on Highway 101 Sunday night, according to Noozhawk.com.

The Santa Barbara CHP received a report at about 8 p.m. of a silver Toyota Prius traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 101 west of Goleta, the website said.

CHP officers, Santa Barbara County sheriff deputies the county fire department and emergency medical personnel all responded and eventually found the Toyota Prius parked in the Sandpiper Golf Course parking lot near Hollister Avenue and Cathedral Oaks Road, just west of Highway 101, CHP Officer Jonathan Gutierrez told Noozhawk.

Officers determined that Lopez had been driving the Prius and was under the influence of alcohol, Gutierrez said.

Lopez was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on Sunday night with bail set at $5,000. She was still in custody at noon Monday, Santa Barbara sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.

Lopez has previously talked about her ongoing problems with alcoholism and was arrested in 2013 for public intoxication, according to Noozhawk.com. In 2013, she took a six-week leave of absence from her job after her family reported her missing for a day.

Find the full Noozhawk.com story here. 

This story was originally published September 7, 2015 at 11:45 AM with the headline "KCOY anchor Paula Lopez arrested on suspicion of DUI."