Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - State Rep. Nabbed for DUI: 'You Reek of Booze!'

Episode Date: March 28, 2025

Police in Cranston, Rhode Island pulled over State Rep. Enrique Sanchez in February after they found him sitting at a traffic light for a long period of time. Sanchez denied drinking alcohol despite officers saying they could smell it on him and in his car. Law&Crime’s Angenette Levy looks at the encounter recorded by police body cameras in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Get Relief Today! Visit https://dermazen.co/crimefix for an extra 10% off and free shipping.Host:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. How much you drink? You reek of booze. Just be honest. No, sir. I saw I was in the divorce. You smell like alcohol. An elected official called out by cops after he's pulled over suspected of driving drunk. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Yeah, yeah. drunk. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Yeah, yeah.

So keep your hands out of your pockets. I go through the arrest of State Representative Enrique Sanchez and what he said afterward. Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Enrique Sanchez is a state representative from Rhode Island, and he's charged with suspicion of driving under the influence. Sanchez is a legislator. He's accused of breaking a state law that he actually could have written. He's 28 years old, and right now the case against him is pending.

Sanchez was approached by police in Cranston, Rhode Island in February when an officer noticed his car was just sitting there at a traffic light. Hi. Hi. What's going on? You were stopped at that light for a while. No, I was just parking. Yeah, you were parked right in the middle of the intersection. My life right now. Where are you coming from? I was coming from my friend's house. Where does your friend live?

Central Falls. What is it? Central Falls. In Central Falls? Okay. Where are you going? Home. Where's home?

Providence. In Providence? Yep. Oh, okay. You know you're going the opposite way from Providence? Oh, it's on the highway. On the highway? Yep. Do you know where you are right now? Yeah. Where are you? What is it? A side street. A side street? Yeah. Okay. Is this your car? Yep. You got the registration and insurance? Enrique Sanchez starts looking for his registration, and you could probably tell it doesn't seem like he knows exactly where he is when the officer asked him. He said he was on a side street.

Let's get back to the video. You having any drink tonight, sir? No. You taking anything? Any drugs? Let's get back to the video. 303A, I'll take number one. I just have to um, show my uh... Your what? Alright, do me a favor. Come out of the car. Put your car in... Is your car in park? Yeah, it is in park. Alright.

Step back to step back. Let's come over here so we don't get in the car. Come over here. Alright, so you haven't had anything to drink? No, no, no. Nothing at all? No. Alright, because you're acting like you've got something.

So I just went to a friend's house tonight in Central Falls. Yep. And I was just going to... Keep your hands out of your pocket when I'm talking to you, okay? Yep. All right, so you went to... Keep your hands out of your pocket. Okay.

Do you understand that? Yep, yep. Come over here. Put your hands on the hood of your car. I'm going to pat you down, okay? Okay. Now you heard the officer tell Sanchez repeatedly to keep his hands out of his pockets. She needs to be able to see his hands and ensure he's not going to pull a weapon.

The officer pats Sanchez down to make sure he doesn't have anything dangerous on him. Then another officer gets involved to assist, and that's the reason why it looks like you just hit something too um so like two days ago you hit something recently got two days ago ago, I went home and I hit my friend's house. Yeah. All right. I have to replace my left leg. All right.

Okay. Just bring it over here so we don't get hit. All right. Come back over here. Come on up over here. I want to take just a moment to talk about something that affects a lot of people. It's dandruff. Most people assume it's from a dry scalp, but it's actually caused by an overgrowth

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shampoo, and the scalp scrubber to clear buildup and boost circulation. Experience flake-free confidence every day. Go to dermizin.co slash crime fix for an extra 10% off and free shipping or tap the link below to get yours today. Now I want to show you that exchange from the first officer's body camera. She pats Sanchez down and you'll hear the other officer question him about how much he's had to drink. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah. All right. That's the paper reference. That's it. Okay. So do you... All right. Come back over here.

Come on up over here because it's slanted over here. Yeah. All right. Keep going. Keep going. Okay. All right. So do you want to consent to some field sobriety tests?

Keeping him safe? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. So do you want to consent to some field sobriety tests? Um... Keeping him safe?

Yeah. Okay. Alright, so do you want to consent to some field sobriety tests? Keep your hands out of your pockets. Yeah, yeah. Keep your hands out of your pockets. So,

I... Keep your hands out of your pockets. Okay. So, I... It's a yes or no question. Do you want to do some field sobriety tests now? Yeah.

Or no? It's your choice. I... Okay, so if I request to do no, can I order Uber? No. Do you want to do this? You can say no to the test, but you're not going to order an Uber. Um, I request no. Okay, so you don't want to do the test. Yeah, no.

Okay. All right. Do me a favor and put your hands around your back. Okay, so you don't want to do the test? No. Okay. Alright, do me a favor and put your hands around your back. Okay. Put your hands... Yeah. I think it's dangerous to leave it in the forest. All right, so... All right, come with me. Yep.

Anything dangerous or legal in your car? No. All right, nothing you get stuck with or something? No. All right, nothing you get stuck with or something? No. All right, man. So you saw Enrique Sanchez exercised his rights and declined to take a field sobriety test, but officers, they still put the cuffs on him because he's being charged with a crime. They believe he was driving under the influence.

They feel like they smelled alcohol on him. The officer escorts him to the cruiser. You got any weapons on you? Anything that's going to poke me or stick me? No. Can you hold this for me? Yeah, just give me all the stuff. Okay. Yep, he's just got more stuff in him. What do you have underneath this, a shirt? Uh huh. Okay.

Alright, let's go. Hold on. I'm just going to put this cache right here. Right here, alright? Yup. Do you want to look at the other one? Yeah. Okay.

So, this is the first one. This is the second one. This is the third one. This is the fourth one. This is the fifth one. This is the sixth one. This is the sixth one. This is the seventh one. This is the eighth one. This is the seventh one. This is the eighth one. This is the seventh one. I'm just going to put this cash pocket right here.

Do you want to grab the keys to my car? Yep, we're going to take care of that. All this stuff is going to be with me right there. Do you have a phone in the car you want? Yeah. We're going to take the phone with us too. Can you loosen up the... The cuffs? Yeah, cuffs. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, So they're actually not tight.

Yeah they're going to be uncomfortable but they're not tight. Your circulation isn't getting cut off or anything. Det er en av de fleste stål som har vært på denne stålen. Det er en av de fleste stål som har vært på denne stålen. So the officer loosened the cuffs just a little bit. I'm sure they were uncomfortable. Then they searched Sanchez's car. Hey, we're going to go through the car real quick. Before you go. Yeah. Come on. Before you go. Yep.

Come on. Just make sure nothing... You want to go on the other side or... Yeah, go on the other side. Just get his phone out of there for him. They don't take watches, right? At court? Yeah. They don't take watches right, at court? Wallet, phone, and a purse.

Wallet and phone? I said it was on the sounder. Scoot it. It's right here. Oh. I'll put it in in the ear pockets. Make sure that's not... check it good. Make sure that's not... Yeah.

Just because we're calling. Is this the key to this car? Oh yeah, I put that out in the car. I'll put that to court anyway. I mean, if we have to log it, we just leave it in the car. Now, it doesn't sound like police found anything incriminating in the vehicle, but you heard the male officer tell Sanchez earlier that he could smell alcohol on him. Listen to what heze in this car.

No, just worry about making sure there's nothing in the car and we'll take care of that after. Yeah, just move my car. Yeah. And just pop the trunk trunk I'll check that I put in a couple and grab a small. Oh. Truck's all set. So you put the key in here or you don't? What? So you put the key in here or you don't? Yeah, yeah. We're going to leave the key in the center.

Okay. So they can go. No, just leave it. Pete's going to be behind it. And just give the UI rights card. Yeah, I do. I'll put the window down for you. Just reading that.

All right. Can you hear me? All right. I got to read you a card. All right. So I'm going to window down for you. All right, can you hear me? All right, I've got to read you a card. All right, so I'm going to read you a card. This is a rights-for-use at scene card, okay? You are suspected of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and or drugs. You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions or give statements.

If you do answer questions or give statements, they can and will be used in evidence against you in court you have the right to an attorney if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you you have the right to be examined at your own expense immediately by a physician selected by you you will be afforded a reasonable opportunity to exercise this right okay Radio 3, I'm 2. Radio 3. Can you all, the droids for you is that same? That's right.

Uh, he's still going to go. He? He's, uh, he's going, uh, back was his car. He said yes. Yeah, I have it in my back pocket. Enrique Sanchez is in the back of the cruiser this entire time, but now he speaks up, requesting another favor before they take him to the police station. Hold on, I can't hear you. What'd you say? Can I loosen them? I'll take a look at them in one minute, okay?

I did loosen them once before, so I'll take a look at them in one second. Hold on. What's your name? Okay, last name? Alright, and you said that's your car? Alright. We left the key in the car, because we're going to have it towed. Okay. You didn't find anything suspicious or anything?

No, so because it's getting towed we have to inventory it to make sure that if there's anything valuable in there that we document it. I can say, what property is it? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we were just going through an inventory. there's anything valuable in there that we documented. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we were just going through an issue. So, you go to the station, we have to tow your car. So, before we tow the car, I put your watches and everything in the center console. Because we've got to inventory the car, essentially, to make sure there's no... Just so when it gets towed, there's no discrepancies.

Like, when you get your car back, they're like, oh you know what i mean i have your wallet your id and your phone all right i would just i would just ask about it yeah you're what he says it's hot they're still too tight no we just checked those toys okay we're gonna they're gonna be out for another two minutes the keys are gonna have to go in the car so they don't have to drag it and mess it up the ignition key we're gonna write down where everything's gonna be so the officers didn't loosen the cuffs they'd already done that once handcuffs are not comfortable they're not supposed to be the officers drove Sanchez to the police station. He was charged with suspicion of driving under the influence. Sanchez is an elected official, so you'd think he'd come out and address this. He's accountable to the public,

so he owes his constituents some type of explanation. He's usually very active on X, but his feed appeared to go silent for several days. And he is innocent until proven guilty. Let's keep that in mind. A week after his arrest, he posted on X, to the people of Rhode Island, I want to begin by thanking you for your patience. More importantly, I want to acknowledge that my first duty is to the remarkable working people of House District 9, Providence, and across the state, the people who placed their trust in me to be their voice when they elected me two times these last few years. Representing them in the General Assembly has been the greatest honor of my life, and I've always fought passionately to protect their

interests. Whether standing against legislation that threatens their financial well-being or advocating for policies that uplift our community, my focus has always been on them. I love my work and the work I do to help better the lives of all the people of this state. I will not let my personal actions become a distraction from the issues that truly matter, the families, businesses, and concerns of my community. These last few days, many of my constituents, supporters, and the people have reached out to reinforce their support for my leadership. I am thankful and grateful for the people of this state. Sometimes we are too close to something to fully see our place in it. This experience has given me a renewed clarity about my responsibilities, not just in this chamber, but in the trust my

community has placed in me. I take that trust seriously and will continue to work hard every day of my life. I will continue to serve as a voice for the people of this state. I believe in the people of Providence and all of Rhode Island and their resilience and their vision for a better future. Our state has the power to drive meaningful social change, and I want to live my values both as a legislator and as a citizen of this great community. Sanchez's license was suspended, but he was later granted privileges to drive for work and to the statehouse between the hours of eight and eight. He also had to have a breathalyzer installed on his ignition to start the car.

Here's one more look at Sanchez's refusal to take a field sobriety test. It looks like you just hit something too. Um, so two days ago... You hit something facing me? Yep, so two days ago I, um, I was too old. I had to have my gun closed. Yeah. I had to replace my rifle. Okay. So do you...

Alright, come back over here. Come on up over here because it's sl back over here. Come on up over here because it's slanted over here. Over here, keep going, keep going. Alright, so do you want to consent to some field sobriety tests? Keep your hands out of your pockets. Keep your hands out of your pockets. So I...

Keep your hands out of your pockets. Okay. So, I, um... It's a yes or no question. Do you want to do some field sobriety tests now? Yeah. Or no? It's your choice. I...

Okay, so if I request to do no, can I order an Uber? No. Do you know what that is? You can say no to the test, but you're not going to order an Uber. I request no. Okay, so you don't want to do the test. Yeah, no. Okay.

All right, do me a favor and put your hands around your back. Okay. Put your hands. What you have? I think dangerous are weeding for us. Alright so... All right, come with me. Yep. Now, I reached out to Sanchez's office for a comment, and I also reached out to his lawyer. At the time of this recording, neither has responded.

And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Annette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.