Former Minneapolis City Councilmember Alondra Cano Espejel was sentenced shortly after she pleaded guilty to third-degree DWI earlier this month, according to Hennepin County court records.

Espejel, 44, was sentenced by a judge to 190 days in prison on Jan. 12 with three days credit for time served. The sentencing document said 180 of those days have been stayed for two years, during which she will be on probation. 

The criminal complaint said Minneapolis police responded to a crash at S. 4th St., outside City Hall, during the night of Oct. 29, 2025. A woman told officers she had been parked in her vehicle when it was struck by a Honda CR-V. The driver of the Honda, later identified as Espejel, remained in her car and refused to identify herself to another officer.

Espejel was recording the police officer and refused twice to provide her license and proof of insurance, according to the complaint. She then tried to put the Honda in drive and leave the scene. The officer then opened her driver's door and turned her vehicle off before commanding her to exit.

Court documents said Espejel refused to comply with repeated requests for her to exit the vehicle. She eventually provided her identification, but still would not get out of her car. An officer removed her from the vehicle and placed her in a police squad.

During their interaction with Espejel, officers saw that she had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol emanating from her, the complaint said. An officer had to cease conducting a field sobriety test on Espejel because she "was unable to follow instructions, was stumbling over herself, continued to slur her speech, and her complaint of it being too cold outside."

Espejel told police after being arrested and transported to take a breath test that she did not understand the breath test advisory read to her, according to court documents. An officer tried to ask her what she did not understand, but Espejel could "not formulate what she did not understand," the complaint said.

Espejel asked to speak to an attorney, but refused to speak to one and did not attempt to contact one during her provided "attorney time," court documents said. She then refused to take a breath test multiple times, saying she would not submit to one without her lawyer present. As a result, the test was deemed a refusal.

Espejel served on the Minneapolis City Council, representing Ward 9 from 2014 to 2022. During that time, she was known as Alondra Cano. 

Court records said Espejel was initially charged with one count each of fourth-degree DWI and third-degree DWI, though the former count was dropped as part of a plea agreement, according to court records.