Three misdemeanor criminal charges, including drunken driving, have been filed in Santa Barbara County Superior Court against a high-ranking Santa Maria Joint Union High School District administrator.
Orcutt resident Yolanda M. Ortiz, 47, assistant superintendent of business services, has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher, and resisting, obstructing, delaying a peace officer.
Additionally, the criminal complaint includes a special allegation, or sentencing enhancement, contending that Ortiz had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15% or higher. The legal limit is 0.08%.
Law enforcement officers took her into custody on Nov. 18 on Old Tisbury Lane in a neighborhood near her residence, according to arrest records.
Few details were available about the incident that led to her arrest, but California Highway Patrol officers confirmed they responded to the scene after receiving a report of a crash.
At the time of her arrest, authorities said Ortiz was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08%.
She was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail and released a short time later with a citation, according to arrest records. Bail was set at $5,000.
On Jan. 24, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office sent Ortiz a letter informing her of the recently filed criminal complaint containing the three misdemeanor charges.
Ortiz has been employed by the high school district since at least 2015 as the assistant superintendent of business services.
Her most recent employment contract spans from June 7, 2022, to June 30, 2026. The salary range for the position spans from $221,304 to $243,988 annually. The district also provides longevity pay spanning from 1% for six to eight years up to 5% for more than 18 years. She also received an automobile allowance of $350 per month.
Ortiz had been driving a 2020 BMW X5 SUV when she was arrested, the CHP confirmed.
A district spokesman said her arrest occurred after the workday, and not while she acted in any official capacity, saying it involved a confidential personnel matter.
She has been ordered to appear at Superior Court in Santa Maria at 8:30 a.m. March 5 for an arraignment hearing. However, since the charges involve misdemeanors, her attorney can appear on her behalf, the letter signed by District Attorney John Savrnoch stated.