Newly released footage depicts Democratic state House candidate Krista Perez crying, sobbing, and praying in the backseat of a patrol car following her arrest for alleged driving under the influence (DUI).

Police body camera video shows Perez admitting she had consumed wine and refusing field sobriety tests after officers reported that she crashed into a parked vehicle, damaging five vehicles.

Perez finished first in last month’s primary election for Washington’s 29th Legislative District, Position 1, and will face incumbent state Representative Melanie Morgan, also a Democrat, in November’s general election.

According to Tacoma Police, Perez’s 2019 Chevrolet Silverado struck a parked vehicle on South G Street shortly after midnight on August 11, triggering a chain reaction that damaged five vehicles. Prosecutors have charged her with DUI with refusal enhancement stemming from the collision and subsequent police interactions.

The body camera footage reveals Perez told an officer she did not understand what had occurred and claimed she was not involved in an accident. When asked about alcohol consumption, she admitted to having “a glass of wine” at a friend’s business on Tacoma Avenue South. She rated her sobriety as a four out of ten when assessed for impairment.

Officers repeatedly offered standardized field sobriety tests, but Perez declined multiple times, stating she wanted to go home and expressed confusion about the procedures. After being asked whether she would like to take the tests or not, she replied, “I would like to go home first,” a response that led officers to record her refusal.

Washington state law does not require drivers to take roadside sobriety tests, but her case includes a refusal enhancement due to her failure to provide a usable breath sample in three attempts before the machine timed out.