Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Mayor Mike Spence, found unconscious in a Costa Mesa hotel room and likely suffering from a drug overdose, will vacate the position of mayor June 1.
Spence made the announcement at the Thursday, May 17 West Covina City Council meeting. None of the four remaining council members voted for a replacement of the largely ceremonial post, holding off a vote until the city’s June 5 regular meeting. Spence intends to remain a member of the city council until his term is up in November. Spence announced his intention to vacate his position June 1 to allow proper public notice and to conduct the mayoral rotation during a regularly scheduled meeting. “I want to apologize to the distraction that my personal failings have had on the city. I want to apologize mostly to my family,” Spence added. “There are people in the community that are mean and bigoted towards people that have addiction and those people have taken it out on my kids. That is what I’m most sad about.” After Spence excused himself from the meeting, the remaining council members voted to remove Spence as mayor immediately and stripped the embattled city leader of his duties. Spence was found unconscious in a Costa Mesa hotel room May 4, found with “controlled substance items,” Costa Mesa Police said. Spence was found with a second person inside the hotel room in the 2000 block of Newport Boulevard just after midnight by Costa Mesa officers responding to a medical call. Spence has yet to be charged with a crime or arrested. Spence was later hospitalized and released. The second person found in the hotel room with Spence identified herself as a friend and told Costa Mesa Police Spence exhibited signs of a possible heroin overdose. Spence was reportedly revived with the nasal overdose medication naloxone, otherwise known by the name brand Narcan, said West Covina City Attorney Kimberly Barlow. Nalaxone is used to treat opioid overdose victims. The case regarding the incident has been turned over to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Spence is no stranger to controversy, having pleaded guilty to crashing his vehicle into a power pole in July 2016. He was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and pleaded guilty to being under the influence of methamphetamine when he crashed. |
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