Lohan Hit With Drug and Alcohol Arrest

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/24/ap3945866.html

Associated Press
Lohan Hit With Drug and Alcohol Arrest
By BROOKE DONALD
07.24.07

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The troubled saga of Lindsay Lohan took another dangerous turn early Tuesday when police charged her with drunken driving and cocaine possession after a frightened woman dialed 911 to report being chased by Lohan's SUV.

Less than two weeks out of rehab, with another drunk driving case pending, Lohan had a blood-alcohol level of between .12 and .13 percent when police found her about 1:30 a.m., Sgt. Shane Talbot said.

Authorities had received a 911 call from the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant, said Officer Alex Padilla. The assistant had just quit hours before, he said.

"The mother was afraid," Padilla said. "She wasn't quite sure what was going on so she called the police saying she wanted to make sure everything was going to be OK."

The woman apparently didn't realize it was Lohan who was behind her, Padilla said.

Police said the woman drove her black Cadillac Escalade into the parking lot of Santa Monica's Civic Auditorium, about a block away from the Santa Monica Police Department, followed by Lohan driving a Denali sport utility vehicle. Authorities arrived and saw Lohan and the woman in "heated debate," Padilla said. Lohan and the woman each had two passengers in their vehicles, Padilla said.

After a field sobriety test, the 21-year-old movie star was booked on two misdemeanor charges of suspicion of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license and two felony charges of possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic, Talbot said.

During a pre-booking search, police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pants pockets, Talbot said.

Several hours later, Lohan was released on $25,000 bail.

A call to Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloan Zelnik, and attorney, Blair Berk, were not immediately returned.

Padilla said he didn't know why Lohan was trying to catch the woman, whom he didn't name.

Last week, Lohan turned herself in to Beverly Hills police to face charges of driving under the influence in connection with a Memorial Day weekend hit-and-run crash.

Lohan lost control of her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 convertible and crashed into a curb and shrubs on Sunset Boulevard, police said. Lohan's blood-alcohol level at the time of that crash was above the legal limit, authorities said, but they wouldn't disclose how high it was. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of hit and run in that case.

A court date was scheduled in that case for Aug. 24.

Lohan left Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility on July 13, after a stay of more than six weeks.

When she left, Zelnik said Lohan would voluntarily wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet.

"In part she is wearing the bracelet so there are no questions about her sobriety if she chooses to go dancing or dining in a place where alcohol is served," Zelnik said in a statement at the time.

Padilla said he wasn't sure if Lohan was wearing it when she was stopped early Tuesday.

In January, Lohan also had checked into rehab for substance abuse treatment.

Associated Press Writer Jeff Wilson contributed to this report.