This is a crazy-ass story that gets crazier with each detail... Early this morning, police arrested Albert Y.M. Huang, the mayor of the city of San Gabriel, on charges of felony robbery and assault after he allegedly took a woman's purse and sped down a residential street with her clinging to the side of his SUV. Whaaaaaat?
Police received a call about a heated argument between Huang and a woman outside a restaurant. They were apparently arguing over money, and things got... crazy: San Gabriel mayor arrested for allegedly taking woman's purse, driving off as she clings to his SUV.
Huang was arrested on suspicion of felony robbery, suspicion of assault by means likely to produce great injury, and battery. However, there was no indication that Huang was intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Huang allegedly took the woman's purse, which contained her car keys, cash and personal belongings and got into her car, Duran said.
The woman attempted to prevent him from leaving by reaching through the vehicle's window. Huang then allegedly pushed the woman, got out of her car and entered his own, a Nissan SUV.
The woman then reached through the passenger window of Huang's SUV and stood on its running boards, Duran said.
Huang accelerated as fast as 45 mph down Prospect Avenue with the woman hanging on, Duran said.
"It's a 25 mph speed limit zone, and he's doing 45 with the female hanging on the car," Duran said.
Huang drove more than a quarter mile with the woman on his car, Duran said.
A security guard at a local business saw what was going on and detained Huang and the woman until officers arrived.
Perhaps they were doing the Asian thing and arguing over who should pay the restaurant check. And Mayor Huang, so insistent that he would pay, took the woman's purse hostage, and it got really out of hand. That's my crazy theory. I would love to hear the full story. Needless to say, the mayor's going to be dealing with some PR problems.