On Dec. 30 at approximately 10 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 2200 block of 20th Street to assist a public services officer with a traffic collision involving a possibly impaired driver.
Upon arriving, officers spoke to the subject, later identified as Francisco Mendez-Jimenez, 51, of Los Angeles, who stated that he had rear-ended the victim and that he had no valid driver's license. Mendez-Jimenez went on to say that did not stop because he could not locate a safe place to park.
Officers noticed that Mendez-Jimenez's eyes were bloodshot, he was swaying and he had a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath.
Mendez-Jimenez was arrested for felony driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run and unlicensed driving. His bail was set at $100,000.