Rocker arrested on DUI charge

Rock guitarist Richie Sambora, 48, was pulled over by Laguna Beach Police at 10:52 p.m. March 25 on South Coast Highway at Brooks Street and arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to police records.

Sambora, lead guitarist for Bon Jovi, was driving a black Hummer with three female passengers, Sgt. Jason Kravetz said. Two of the passengers were juveniles and one was an adult.

Officers spotted Sambora driving erratically on South Coast Highway at Laguna Avenue and followed him south about eight blocks to Brooks Street, where they pulled him over. He was weaving in and out of traffic and straddling lanes, Kravetz said.

“The officers smelled alcohol on his breath and decided to investigate him for possible DUI,” Kravetz said. Sambora failed a field sobriety test. He opted to have a blood test to determine his blood alcohol level, and the results won’t be available for several weeks, Kravetz said.

“He was very cooperative with the officers,” Kravetz said.

Sambora was released by police around 4 a.m. on his own recognizance. He is to appear in Harbor Court on May 7 to answer the charge.

The police department was hard-pressed to handle the influx of media calls from the incident. More than 100 reporters called the department, including some from Canada and England. Many reporters were from celebrity news outlets, Kravetz said.