A councilwoman in North Augusta was arrested Friday night for driving under the influence, authorities said.
Jenafer McCauley, 36, was seen driving without her headlights on East Avenue around 10:30 p.m Friday, and an officer pulled her over. She admitted to drinking two margaritas at a restaurant in downtown Augusta before driving, and told the officer she had finished her last one around 7:30 p.m., a report says.
An officer noted her eyes were red, water and glossy, and her speech was slurred and she smelled “strongly of alcoholic beverages.” The councilwoman then failed a series of field sobriety tests and was unable to maintain her balance during a walk-and-turn test. She later registered a 0.14 blood alcohol level.
McCauley also didn’t have her license with her and was issued a courtesy summons for the violation, a report says. She was taken to the county jail and later released on bond.
McCauley joined the North Augusta City Council after winning her first election in 2021. She is a mother of three and owns Fleet Feet Augusta with her husband.
In a statement, the councilwoman said she had been at Lookaway Inn before the arrest.
“The area is well lit, and when I drove away, I failed to turn on my headlights,” she said. “As I pulled into my driveway about .25 miles away from Lookaway Inn, an officer approached me. Subsequently, I was accused of DUI.”
McCauley said the matter must be resolved in a courtroom “where all of us as citizens have the right to have such matters resolved.” She did not address her future on the council.
“I would like to ask for privacy at this time, and will defer any other questions to my attorney who will be assisting me,” she said.
