A high ranking official in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after she was found passed out at the wheel of her car on the Pasadena Freeway. The female motorist is a top ranking civil official in the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department.

According to authorities, they received a number of 911 calls from drivers alerting police to a car that was stopped in the middle lane of the Pasadena Freeway. When California Highway patrol troopers arrived at the scene, they found Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Civilian Director Natalie Salazar passed out at the wheel. She was allegedly drunk.

Salazar was arrested, and blood alcohol tests later confirmed that she had been intoxicated. Her blood alcohol level at the time was .20, which is more than twice the legally allowed limit in the state of California. She was booked on suspicion of DUI, and has since been released on bail.

This is not the first DUI arrest for Salazar. In 2009, she had been arrested for DUI, and had been convicted. After she was convicted, she was placed on probation. However, she continued to retain her post at the Sheriff’s Department. This time round, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has not been as accommodating. The Sheriff's Department has announced that she has been placed on leave.

Penalties for repeat DUI convictions in California can be stiff. For a 2nd DUI offense, a person can be fined between $1,800 and $2,800, and could have his license suspended for up to 2 years. Additionally, persons convicted of more than one DUI offense in California must have ignition interlock devices installed in their vehicles. In Los Angeles County, even first-time DUI offenders must have an ignition interlock device installed as part of a pilot program. If the program is successful, then Los Angeles DUI lawyers expect that the program will be expanded across the state.