Local Mayor Steps Down Amid Drug Probe, Says People Are 'Mean,' 'Bigoted' Toward Addicts
WEST COVINA (CBSLA) — A local mayor who was found surrounded by drugs and paraphernalia has stepped down from his post, and he used his resignation to point out how people with addiction are treated in his community.
The West Covina City Council was slated to decide the fate of Mayor Mike Spence, who became the subject of a police investigation when he was found unconscious in a Costa Mesa hotel room with what they called "controlled substances." Up until Thursday, Spence had denied knowing about the drugs.
However, the council's job was done for them when Spence stepped down voluntarily.
"I want to apologize for the distraction that my personal feelings have had on the city," Spence told the council and congregants.
"At this point, I want to announce I'm resigning as mayor of West Covina," Spence said before receiving applause.
The Costa Mesa Police Dept. on Thursday released the 911 call made by a person he was with during the May 4th incident.
"He may have overdosed," the person tells the 911 operator. "I would say heroin."
Spence admitted to having had substance abuse problems in the past, having plead guilty to driving under the influence of methamphetamines after he crashed his car into a utility pole in 2016.
Thursday night, he addressed the issue of addiction.
"There are people in this community that are mean and bigoted towards people that have addiction," Spence said as he became emotional.
Spence was not arrested after the incident in May, but Costa Mesa police are still investigating and plan to turn their findings over to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Spence said though he was leaving his post as mayor on June 1st, he is not resigning from the West Covina City Council until his term is up in November.