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AUSTIN -- Tears welled up in state Rep. Naomi Gonzalez's eyes Monday as she apologized just days after a car accident for which she is now facing drunken driving charges.
The 34-year-old Democratic lawmaker told the El Paso Times in her first public interview since Thursday's accident that she was sorry for the shame it brought to the El Paso community. She also apologized for injuring people in the accident.
Gonzalez, now facing possibly the most challenging moment of her political career, declined to provide details about the accident or answer questions about whether she was drunk, citing pending legal issues.
But Gonzalez admits she made a mistake and said she hopes to regain the city's trust.
"I own that mistake," Gonzalez said. "I can promise them that this will never happen again. That it is what we do with the mistakes in life that
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define who we are. That I remain committed to them. That my commitment to them is to work even harder than I ever have before and that I ask that they forgive me, well, not that they forgive me, but I ask that they give me a chance to regain their trust.
"I can't fix what happened exactly, but I can try to do right by them again and I just ask that they give me that opportunity to do right by them," she said.
Gonzalez had not spoken about the accident since she was released from
44.50 %
the Travis County Jail on Thursday for allegedly being drunk when she crashed her BMW into a Fiat at about 2 a.m. at the intersection of Barton Springs and Congress streets in Austin.
Three people, including Gonzalez, were taken to the hospital after the Fiat hit a woman on a bicycle. No one suffered serious injuries, according to information from police and EMS officials.
Gonzalez on Monday had her hand wrapped because of a bone fracture that occurred in the accident.
After her interview with the El Paso Times, Gonzalez offered a public apology on the floor of the Texas House. Lawmakers from both parties wished Gonzalez well as she waited near the podium to address her colleagues and visitors in the chamber.
"I
Naomi Gonzalez (Provided by Austin police)
made a mistake and I am deeply, deeply sorry for it," Gonzalez said to a quiet and still chamber. "I am sorry for the shame that I brought upon this House and I have brought upon the district."
Gonzalez's brief comments were met with applause from her colleagues. Many rose to their feet as she stepped away from the podium.
State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, said Gonzalez faces a tough political road ahead.
"She needs to get way out in front of this early if she wants to convince her district to send her back," Pickett said. "I know we don't normally talk about those things this early, but because of the situation, I think it's probably on a lot of people's minds."
Pickett said the situation merited more than an apology. He said Gonzalez should also take actions that show she is serious such as seeking spiritual guidance and working with groups that advocate against drunken driving.
"I think she needs to decide personally, in her heart, whe ther or not she feels she did something wrong because some people in these positions deny what happened," Pickett said. "I'm sure she needs to be careful about legal implications, but I think she needs to find a way to let everybody know that it is serious."
An arrest affidavit showed that Gonzalez had a blood alcohol content of .164, which is twice the legal limit.
The affidavit said Gonzalez told officers that she was headed home after picking up her car at the Capitol. She told officers that she had been at the W Hotel and had two drinks -- a Bud Light and an "Old Fashioned" -- between midnight and 1 a.m. Thursday.
The officer who interviewed Gonzalez said she had glassy and bloodshot eyes and wrote that the smell of alcohol became stronger the more she spoke. He said he asked Gonzalez to count from 67 to 42 backward and she replied, "I don't think I can." After the officer urged Gonzalez to try anyway, she struggled to keep track of numbers she had counted, the affidavit said. When asked if Gonzalez could remember which number she was asked to count to, she could not, the officer wrote.
"Never once did Ms. Gonzalez ask how the other people involved in the crash were doing, but she cried about how she had worked so hard to get where she was," the officer wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Gonzalez said she believed the affidavit was written "in a way that perhaps did not take other variables into consideration" but added that everything would be vetted out through the legal system. She declined to describe any of those variables.
"Anyone who knows me knows that the people who were involved in the accident were of my concern and continue to be of concern to me," Gonzalez said. "That does weigh very heavily on me and I keep them in my thoughts and in my prayers. I am very sorry about that and very grateful that no one was seriously injured."
Gonzalez said she could not discuss why she did not ask the officer that Thursday morning about the well-being of the other people involved in the accident or whether she has tried to reach out to anyone involved since then. She also declined to elaborate on her comments to the officer about working so hard to get where she was.
"I understand that people may feel like they want to know what happened," Gonzalez said. "Unfortunately, those are all questions that are going to be answered in the legal process and, at this time, I am not in a position where I can answer those questions."
In a letter of apology to residents in her district, Gonzalez offered details into her upbringing. She mentioned that her mother and grandmother raised her with modest means and said their encouragement led her to attend college and eventually earn a law degree.
"I let you, and myself, down a few nights ago, but intend to raise myself up and work harder and better than ever," she wrote.
Gonzalez said that she knows the incident will be a distraction for some time, but she hopes it lessens as people see her commitment to the district. She said what happened was not in her character, adding that she has earned a reputation in Austin for being a "workhorse."
Gonzalez said the people who have called her office have not asked her to resign but rather have encouraged her to continue the work she started this legislative session.
Asked if she would resign if she were found guilty, Gonzalez said the situation had not reached that point and she could not make such a decision now.
"The calls that our office has received on the district level have been positive," Gonzalez said. "They've been supportive. The constituents that have called in have expressed that they very much want me to continue with this session and beyond.
"They understand that what happened was a mistake and, so, I have the intent of moving on from this incident and, with their support, continuing a path of public service."
Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.
The 34-year-old Democratic lawmaker told the El Paso Times in her first public interview since Thursday's accident that she was sorry for the shame it brought to the El Paso community. She also apologized for injuring people in the accident.
Gonzalez, now facing possibly the most challenging moment of her political career, declined to provide details about the accident or answer questions about whether she was drunk, citing pending legal issues.
But Gonzalez admits she made a mistake and said she hopes to regain the city's trust.
"I own that mistake," Gonzalez said. "I can promise them that this will never happen again. That it is what we do with the mistakes in life that
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define who we are. That I remain committed to them. That my commitment to them is to work even harder than I ever have before and that I ask that they forgive me, well, not that they forgive me, but I ask that they give me a chance to regain their trust.
"I can't fix what happened exactly, but I can try to do right by them again and I just ask that they give me that opportunity to do right by them," she said.
Gonzalez had not spoken about the accident since she was released from
44.50 %
the Travis County Jail on Thursday for allegedly being drunk when she crashed her BMW into a Fiat at about 2 a.m. at the intersection of Barton Springs and Congress streets in Austin.
Three people, including Gonzalez, were taken to the hospital after the Fiat hit a woman on a bicycle. No one suffered serious injuries, according to information from police and EMS officials.
Gonzalez on Monday had her hand wrapped because of a bone fracture that occurred in the accident.
After her interview with the El Paso Times, Gonzalez offered a public apology on the floor of the Texas House. Lawmakers from both parties wished Gonzalez well as she waited near the podium to address her colleagues and visitors in the chamber.
"I
Naomi Gonzalez (Provided by Austin police)
made a mistake and I am deeply, deeply sorry for it," Gonzalez said to a quiet and still chamber. "I am sorry for the shame that I brought upon this House and I have brought upon the district."
Gonzalez's brief comments were met with applause from her colleagues. Many rose to their feet as she stepped away from the podium.
State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, said Gonzalez faces a tough political road ahead.
"She needs to get way out in front of this early if she wants to convince her district to send her back," Pickett said. "I know we don't normally talk about those things this early, but because of the situation, I think it's probably on a lot of people's minds."
Pickett said the situation merited more than an apology. He said Gonzalez should also take actions that show she is serious such as seeking spiritual guidance and working with groups that advocate against drunken driving.
"I think she needs to decide personally, in her heart, whe ther or not she feels she did something wrong because some people in these positions deny what happened," Pickett said. "I'm sure she needs to be careful about legal implications, but I think she needs to find a way to let everybody know that it is serious."
An arrest affidavit showed that Gonzalez had a blood alcohol content of .164, which is twice the legal limit.
The affidavit said Gonzalez told officers that she was headed home after picking up her car at the Capitol. She told officers that she had been at the W Hotel and had two drinks -- a Bud Light and an "Old Fashioned" -- between midnight and 1 a.m. Thursday.
The officer who interviewed Gonzalez said she had glassy and bloodshot eyes and wrote that the smell of alcohol became stronger the more she spoke. He said he asked Gonzalez to count from 67 to 42 backward and she replied, "I don't think I can." After the officer urged Gonzalez to try anyway, she struggled to keep track of numbers she had counted, the affidavit said. When asked if Gonzalez could remember which number she was asked to count to, she could not, the officer wrote.
"Never once did Ms. Gonzalez ask how the other people involved in the crash were doing, but she cried about how she had worked so hard to get where she was," the officer wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Gonzalez said she believed the affidavit was written "in a way that perhaps did not take other variables into consideration" but added that everything would be vetted out through the legal system. She declined to describe any of those variables.
"Anyone who knows me knows that the people who were involved in the accident were of my concern and continue to be of concern to me," Gonzalez said. "That does weigh very heavily on me and I keep them in my thoughts and in my prayers. I am very sorry about that and very grateful that no one was seriously injured."
Gonzalez said she could not discuss why she did not ask the officer that Thursday morning about the well-being of the other people involved in the accident or whether she has tried to reach out to anyone involved since then. She also declined to elaborate on her comments to the officer about working so hard to get where she was.
"I understand that people may feel like they want to know what happened," Gonzalez said. "Unfortunately, those are all questions that are going to be answered in the legal process and, at this time, I am not in a position where I can answer those questions."
In a letter of apology to residents in her district, Gonzalez offered details into her upbringing. She mentioned that her mother and grandmother raised her with modest means and said their encouragement led her to attend college and eventually earn a law degree.
"I let you, and myself, down a few nights ago, but intend to raise myself up and work harder and better than ever," she wrote.
Gonzalez said that she knows the incident will be a distraction for some time, but she hopes it lessens as people see her commitment to the district. She said what happened was not in her character, adding that she has earned a reputation in Austin for being a "workhorse."
Gonzalez said the people who have called her office have not asked her to resign but rather have encouraged her to continue the work she started this legislative session.
Asked if she would resign if she were found guilty, Gonzalez said the situation had not reached that point and she could not make such a decision now.
"The calls that our office has received on the district level have been positive," Gonzalez said. "They've been supportive. The constituents that have called in have expressed that they very much want me to continue with this session and beyond.
"They understand that what happened was a mistake and, so, I have the intent of moving on from this incident and, with their support, continuing a path of public service."
Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.
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