COD Trustee Pleads Guilty to Drunken Driving

COD Area 1 Trustee Rubén AríAztlán Pérez Pleads Guity to Drunken Driving

INDIO — As part of a plea agreement, Rubén AríAztlán Pérez, Area 1 Trustee for College of the Desert, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher and having an open container while driving, according to a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s office.

It was his second DUI arrest in two years.

As part of the plea agreement, two misdemeanor counts were dismissed as well as enhancements. “In the interest of justice.” The penalties for a DUI offense can become even more significant when certain “enhancements” are involved. Simply put, a DUI enhancement in California is an additional penalty for a DUI conviction based on aggravating circumstances.

Perez also admitted to his prior DUI case, the spokesperson said, He was granted probation for 60 months and ordered to complete the Impaired Drivers Program.

Hiis plea comes as he has been making tasteful apologies in public to those he has hurt. His most recent apology cane at the Aug. 1 COD Board of Trustees meeting.

“I … want to take a moment to thank Dr. (Joel) Kinnamon for his service to College of the Desert and to our community as a member of this board. I was saddened to learn that he decided not to seek another term. It has truly been an honor to serve alongside him, learn from him, and I am grateful for the experience, perspective, and commitment he has brought to this institution,” Perez said from the dais. The two have had a strained relationship since 22917 when Kinnamon supported Perez’s rival.

Fortunately, this isn’t goodbye quite yet, Perez added

“We still have a few months of work ahead of us, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work alongside Dr. Kinnamon and accomplishing a few more great things for this college and our students before his service on this board comes to an end. I also want to welcome back our students and everyone who makes College of Desert such a special place. For some of our students, this semester represents the continuation of a journey. For others, it represents a brand-new beginning and sometimes a second or even third chance.”

With that, he calmly delivered a heartfelt message to the board, the audience and anyone who might by listening.

“That idea has become especially meaningful to me. Over the past several months, I’ve had to confront some of my own mistakes and shortcomings. I don’t pretend to have everything figured out. I’m still learning. I’m still growing, and I’m still working every day to become a better person and a better public servant,” Perez said. “I’ve also learned firsthand how important mental health, recovery, accountability, and grace can be. There are people throughout our community who are struggling quietly with addiction, mental health challenges, grief, or circumstances that the rest of us may know nothing about. I hope we continue building a college where people know that asking for help is a sign of courage, where a mistake doesn’t have to define the rest of someone’s life, and where second and even third chances can lead to something meaningful. I also want to thank a moment to thank the people of my district as I prepare to serve another term on this board. I am incredibly humbled by the trust you have placed in me over the years.”

Running unopposed is something I don’t take for granted, Perez continued.

“To me, it isn’t a reason to become comfortable. It is an even greater responsibility to earn that trust every single day. I know I haven’t always gotten everything right. When I’ve fallen short, I try to own it, learn from it, and do better. I will continue doing that. Serving this community and College of the Desert remains one of the greatest honors of my life. And before I finish this morning, I want to return to where I started, to the heat and to the people throughout our valley who work in it every single day. I especially want to recognize the men and women throughout our communities whose jobs require them to work outside in this blistering heat. Whether you work in agriculture, construction, public safety, landscaping, utilities, maintenance, or any of the other many jobs that keep our valley moving. Thank you. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. This is something that is deeply personal to me because I come from a family of people who worked outside.”

He spoke of his grandfather who worked for the city of Indio as a maintenance worker for more than 30 years. He also spoke of his paternal grandmother who worked in the fields, specifically table grapes for more than 25 years. In fact, my grandparents met while following the table grape harvest in Arvin, Calif., he said.  On my mother’s side, my grandfather was a palmetto up until his retirement. He came from a family of palmettos. His father, his brother, and he would climb palm trees nearly a hundred feet tall to harvest dates. One of the crops that has helped to find and sustain our valley for generations. As a child, I remember seeing my grandparents come home physically exhausted, drenched in sweat and covered in dirt. The sand and dust would mix with their sweat until it became mud on their clothes and skin. And then they would get up and do it all over again the next day. Because of them, people who work outside will always have a special place in my heart. And it makes me incredibly proud that so many of the people I have the privilege of representing come from that same tradition.

“Humble, hardworking people, immigrants who, in many cases, came to this country with little more than the clothes on their backs and a dream,” Perez said. “} dream that their children might have opportunities they never had. A dream that their children could walk through the doors of an institution like College of the Desert and accomplish things that may have seemed unfathomable to their parents or grandparents. A dream that their sacrifices, the fear and uncertainty of leaving their home country, the early mornings, the long days, and enduring the sweltering heat were not in vain. That their sacrifices created opportunities for the generations that followed. And perhaps one day, one of those children or grandchildren might even sit on a dais like this one and have the privilege of making decisions that impact the lives of the very community that raised them. That’s what this institution represents. That’s what this work is all about. That’s College of the Desert.”

When he concluded, Superintendent/President Val Martinez Garcia   summed up in one word what Perez had said, “Beautiful,”