San Diego County deputy arrested for driving through military base gates, officials say

A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he drove through the main gate of a military base Friday night without stopping, the sheriff’s department said. The incident took place at the Coronado naval base.

Sergeant Michael Cruz, who has been with the sheriff’s department since 2006, was off duty at the time of the incident, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

The sheriff’s department said Cruz has been placed on administrative leave, while the Coronado Police Department and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the incident.

Naval Base Coronado was shut down Friday night after a vehicle drove through the facility’s main gate without stopping, a military spokesman said.

Naval Base Coronado spokesman Kevin Dixon KNSD-TV reported that the driver was taken into custody by base guards after the “gate runner” drove without stopping through the entrance to Naval Air Station North Island, which is part of Naval Air Station Coronado.

Several patrol cars surrounded the entrance near 3rd Street and Alameda Boulevard in Coronado around 10:30 p.m., KNSD-TV reported.

Several gates at the air base near San Diego were closed while security officials checked the facility, Dixon said.

A post on Naval Base Coronado’s Facebook page early Saturday morning said: “The main gate of Naval Air Station North Island is currently closed due to a security incident. Please stay away from the main gate while security investigates.’

later in the morning was reading another post on Facebook“Gate 2 (Carrier Gate) is now open to inbound and outbound vehicular traffic. The main gate at 4th Street is open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The main inbound gate remains closed due to security measures.”

Naval Air Station North Island is one of eight US military installations that make up Naval Base Coronado.

In February 2022, at the same gate on the base, a motorist was found with materials for making a bomb. The materials were not collected in the device, the driver was detained for questioning, the base reported at the time.