Comedian and actor Paul Rodriguez was apprehended earlier this week in Burbank, California, on suspicion of possessing narcotics, according to various media outlets.
The arrest unfolded Monday evening at around 8:30 p.m. in a parking structure in Burbank’s downtown area, The Los Angeles Times reported.
A witness reportedly called for a welfare check, expressing concern about a man, later identified as Rodriguez, and a woman exiting a nearby restaurant who seemed “under the influence and not alert.” Officers then located the individuals matching the description provided.
Rodriguez was reportedly behind the wheel of the vehicle, with the woman in the passenger seat.
According to Burbank Police Sgt. Stephen Turner, the investigation uncovered alprazolam [Xanax] and heroin within the woman’s personal bag, leading to her arrest on suspicion of drug possession.
Police reportedly found pills in the 70-year-old entertainer’s vehicle, suspected to be fentanyl and Xanax, although Rodriguez denied ownership of the drugs.
Records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office show he was cited and released the next day.
This incident follows another encounter with Burbank police in March, during which he was allegedly found in possession of narcotics during a traffic stop.
In that March incident, Rodriguez conveyed to TMZ that he was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation and alleged that a “Caucasian” officer on a “power trip” slapped him to wake him up.
Bobby Samini, the actor’s attorney, told the outlet that Rodriguez cooperated with law enforcement and was not under the influence, nor did he have any controlled substances on his person, adding that the March 28 arrest was a violation of his client’s civil rights and that they would establish “Mr. Rodriguez’s innocence in a court of law.”
The Mexican-born comic, who grew up in East L.A., is best known for his standup comedy work, though he began working as an actor in sitcoms in the 1980s and starred in well-known films like “Blood Work” with Clint Eastwood and “The Whoopee Boys” with Michael O’Keefe.
