Richie Sambora charged with DUI

SANTA ANA, California (AP) -- Richie Sambora was charged Tuesday with drunken driving following his arrest last month when his blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, prosecutors said.

The Bon Jovi lead guitarist faces two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit, the Orange County district attorney's office said.

Sambora, 48, was pulled over in Laguna Beach on March 25 after he was allegedly seen swerving and straddling two lanes. District attorney's spokeswoman Farrah Emami said Sambora's blood-alcohol level was .13 percent; the legal limit is .08 percent in California.

Sambora's publicist, Ken Sunshine, referred calls to Sambora's attorney, Blair Berk. She did not immediately return a call Tuesday.

Two children and a woman were in the car at the time of Sambora's arrest. The children were released to the woman's custody, but none of their names have been made public.

Police had asked the district attorney to file misdemeanor charges of child endangerment against Sambora as well, but Emami said prosecutors didn't have enough to make the case.

"The charge of DUI in itself indicates you have endangered yourself and others," she said. "There would have needed to be additional aggravating circumstances to charge that."

Sambora, who was released on his own recognizance, is scheduled for arraignment May 7. He is not required to attend the arraignment and he could move the court date up, Emami said. E-mail to a friend

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