Jeff Rougeot
On election night, Paso Robles mayoral candidate Jeff Rougeot spent the night in jail after a San Luis Obispo County superior court judge ordered him reprimanded because of a string of crimes he allegedly committed during a two month spree. His bail is set at $1,135,000.
Rougeot, 45, is scheduled for arraignment today on two felony and six misdemeanor charges that include two for driving under the influence, four for violating a restraining order and one for threatening to shoot and kill a neighbor with a 9mm handgun.
Following an exclusive CalCoastNews article detailing the arrests, several members of Rougeot’s family blamed his ex-wife and a recent divorce for Rougeot’s actions. Ed Sauret, Rougeot’s uncle, said in an email he felt the information should not have been made public.
“A recently settled and difficult divorce can send even the strongest of people onto a difficult, even self-destructive course,” Sauret said. “Jeff is a fine person with a good heart who loves his children and his family. The police information you elected to publish is only one side of a very messy story that, frankly, the specific details of which are not the general public’s business.”
