UPDATE: Riverbank City Councilman Bails Out Of Jail Following DUI Arrest
OAKDALE (CBS13) – A Riverbank city councilman was arrested for DUI and child endangerment after a crash left his four-year-old son bloodied and bruised.
A witness says Riverbank city councilman Jessie James White tried to run away after that crash, leaving his child behind.
This could very well be the last straw for Jesse James White as a member of the Riverbank City council. He's been in trouble before, but on Monday night, things were allegedly taken to a whole new level.
"We saw his car smashed in the middle of the road right there," said John Visser. "Just came and sat on the curb."
Visser said the man was very drunk and was trying to park his badly damaged Corvette after slamming it into several parked cars. Visser walked Riverbank city councilman Jesse James White to the curb, but White wasn't very appreciative of the help.
"'You don't know who I am. You can't tell me what to do.' So I sat him down on the curb and I looked inside and there was a little kid in there," said Visser.
Visser says while he pulled the scared and bloodied 4-year-old boy from the car, White took off.
"I saw him running down the street, so my friend Roger Chased him down, grabbed him, held him down, until the cops got here and made my friend handcuff him," said Visser.
Meanwhile, Visser's friends tried comforting the boy.
"He was shaking and crying and bleeding. He was in shock, like: 'Where's my daddy? What happened?'" said Alexandra Rocha who helped the child.
Police arrested White and charged him with DUI and reckless endangerment.
White's son is expected to be fine.
White's troubles are well known in Riverbank. In 2010, while in office, he was arrested on drug charges.
Earlier this month, the city of Riverbank dropped its legal attempt to try and have White removed after spending more than $50,000, according to the Modesto Bee.
In May 2011, White avoided being forced out of office by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge, instead of a felony charge. He was initially charged with felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor drug counts after police found marijuana and cocaine in his home and marijuana in his vehicle.
If White had been convicted of a felony he would have been forced to give up his position on the Riverbank City Council.
White bailed out of jail on Monday morning. He refused to speak with CBS13.
