Stockton City Councilmember Brando Villapudua was detained Wednesday morning, days before the Nov. 3 general election in which he is seeking a second term representing District 5, authorities said.
Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed Villapudua’s detention but referred questions about the circumstances to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office. Brent said the Sheriff’s Office is not involved in the investigation.
The DA’s office did not immediately respond to phone calls and a written request for information about the circumstances surrounding Villapudua’s detention, including when or where he was detained.
But in a news release, the office said its Bureau of Investigations Political Corruption Unit detained Villapudua as part of an ongoing investigation, as well as to serve search warrants.
Villapudua was subsequently released without charges, the office said.
Because the investigation is ongoing, the DA’s office said it could not provide additional information or comment further.
News of Villapudua’s detainment and release offers another twist in the District 5 election cycle. His general election opponent, Desiree Lynch, dropped out of the race amid legal issues.
Lynch, a registered nurse, faces felony charges stemming from an investigation into whether she falsely listed addresses in Stockton when registering to vote and qualifying as a candidate for District 5, which represents the south-central part of the city.
District Attorney Ron Freitas’ office initially charged Lynch with five felonies on Aug. 18: three counts of perjury, one count of causing, procuring or allowing false voter registration and one count of filing a false declaration of candidacy. Prosecutors added a sixth felony charge — possession of an assault weapon — in an amended complaint filed Sept. 2, the day of Lynch’s arraignment.
Lynch has not yet entered a plea in the case. A judge continued her arraignment to Nov. 16 — two weeks after Election Day — so her defense could review discovery documents.
Despite her legal problems, Lynch’s name remains on the November ballot. A judge ruled that she had qualified for the runoff through votes cast in the primary and therefore should not be removed from the November general election.
The circumstances leave voters with an unusual selection process.