Officers find drunk Lorain councilman with van stuck in neighbor's yard, police report says

LORAIN, Ohio - A Lorain City Councilman was charged with driving while intoxicated after police found his van stuck in a yard near his house.

Lorain officers were called to West 18th Street near Washington Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday for a suspected drunk driver.

The police report said Councilman Dennis Flores’ van was stuck in the tree lawn and was partially in the road. When asked what happened, Flores said he was trying to pull into his driveway when the van became stuck. Police said it wasn’t even his driveway.

Flores, who is referred to as the "people's councilperson" on his city council biography, took a field sobriety test and failed, according to the police report. He was taken to the police station, where he refused to take a breathalyzer test. Officers checked his driving history and found that Flores already had a suspended license.

The 58-year-old councilman was charged with failure to control, driving under suspension and driving while intoxicated. Court records show Flores pleaded not guilty and posted bond.

A pretrial hearing is set for next month.

According to the city of Lorain website, Flores is not only the councilman of ward two, but is also on the Catholic Charities Lorain Advisory Board and is the Alliance Officer Secretary for the Lorain County Community Alliance.