Boulder employee arrested for allegedly driving city vehicle under the influence

BOULDER, Colo. — A City of Boulder employee was arrested Thursday for allegedly driving a city vehicle while under the influence.

In a release, the city said Joseph Fernandes, 25, was working as a temporary crew member for the Open Space Mountain Parks (OSMP) department when another employee "noticed behavior that seemed a cause for concern." OSMP rangers performed an assessment of Fernandes, at which time deputies from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office arrived, according to the city.

Fernandes was arrested for driving under the influence and driving under the influence per se (pursuant to statute 42-4-1301). He was booked into the Boulder County Jail and later released.

According to the city, Fernandes was driving a city vehicle while performing his crew duties prior to his arrest. No injuries or property damage was reported, the city said.

Fernandes had been with the city since May. He was terminated following his arrest.

“This allegation is extremely troubling,” said City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde in a statement. “As city employees, it is our job to bolster community safety and not act in a manner that threatens it. We took immediate action upon learning of the incident, and the individual is no longer employed by the city.”