Nevada state Sen. Edgar Flores was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after Las Vegas police found him slumped over in the driver’s seat of his vehicle at a red light early Sept. 12, according to body-worn camera footage released by authorities.
Officers discovered the 39-year-old lawmaker unresponsive with the keys in the ignition of his Jeep Wrangler, which was in drive and his foot on the brake. In the footage, Flores does not wake until an officer knocks on his window. He appears disoriented when instructed to put the vehicle in park and step out.
An officer asked Flores where he had been; Flores told them he had been playing soccer at Sunset Park and was heading home to northern Las Vegas. He appeared to struggle to recall his address, according to the footage. When asked how much he had to drink, Flores initially said “just a drink,” then said “one beer” around midnight.
After appearing to stumble through field sobriety maneuvers, Flores was placed under arrest and later booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a misdemeanor DUI charge. Under Nevada law, he was released after a blood draw without posting bail or appearing before a judge. Prosecutors have not yet filed a formal criminal complaint; a status hearing on the potential filing is set for Jan. 12.
Flores represents northeastern Clark County in the Nevada Senate. His campaign issued a statement saying he was stopped "after a long day of work, community events, evening exercise, and a late dinner," and that he cooperated with officers, agreeing to a breathalyzer and a blood test. The campaign said the preliminary breath test returned a 0.0 reading and expressed confidence the toxicology report will show no impairment.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Flores refused a preliminary breath test at the scene and that a full toxicology report could take roughly 90 days to process. Body-worn camera video released publicly shows officers attempting to open the driver’s door and using lights to rouse Flores before knocking on the window to awaken him.
After the arrest, officers ran field sobriety tests on Flores and, according to the footage, determined he failed. He was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge and released pending the results of the blood analysis. Flores’ campaign said the senator will review whether his rights and privacy were properly respected during the encounter and thanked officers for their diligence in ensuring public safety.
The incident adds to scrutiny of elected officials’ conduct while driving and follows a growing trend of police departments releasing body-worn camera footage in high-profile incidents. Flores’ arrest does not yet include a formal charge in court; the Jan. 12 status hearing will address whether prosecutors will file a criminal complaint and take the matter forward.
Flores, a Democrat, has served in the Nevada Legislature representing parts of northeastern Las Vegas. The office did not provide additional comment beyond the campaign statement, and Clark County prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for further information. The timeline and results from the blood test will shape whether formal charges are brought and how the matter proceeds in court and in the public record.