A high-ranking member of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration was arrested over the weekend on drunk driving charges outside the Park District’s South Shore Cultural Center, authorities said.
Luis Zepeda, first deputy commissioner of the Department of Streets and Sanitation, was taken into custody about 5:30 a.m. Sunday in the 7100 block of South Exchange Ave, according to Chicago police, and released later that day.
He was cited for two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and one misdemeanor count of obstructing traffic. It wasn’t immediately clear when his next court date was.
Asked whether City Hall was separately disciplining Zepeda, Johnson’s spokesperson deferred comment to DSS, which confirmed an internal investigation but did not elaborate.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred last weekend involving a DSS staff member,” DSS spokesperson Ryan Gage wrote in a statement late Monday. “The matter is being addressed internally and by CPD, and we have no further comment at this time.”
Zepeda could not immediately be reached for comment. He was in a personal vehicle at the time of the incident, not a city-issued one, and was not working in his capacity as a government official.
Records show Zepeda has worked for the city for almost two decades, currently earning about a $211,000 annual salary as second-in-command of the department tasked with picking up the garbage and plowing snow and debris off Chicago’s roads. Before being promoted to his current role in 2021, he was tapped as DSS assistant general superintendent under Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration after working as a ward superintendent since 2007.
Tribune reporter AD Quig contributed to this story.