FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — With Election Day just over a week away, Fresno City Council District 1 candidate Naindeep Singh is responding to questions after being arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
Singh addressed the arrest at a news conference Monday, surrounded by supporters. He denied wrongdoing and presented documents he said showed negative results from an independent drug test conducted the day after his arrest.
Fresno police have not yet received the results of the blood sample collected during the investigation.
Singh said the traffic stop began around 11 p.m. Saturday when a motorcycle officer pulled him over for what Singh described as expired vehicle registration tags.
He said he had already paid his registration fees months earlier and provided a copy of a Department of Motor Vehicles payment receipt dated June 19, 2026.
“I had paid that registration months earlier on June 19th, 2026, and you can even see a copy of my DMV payment receipt,” Singh said. “For whatever reason, the officer could tell me that wasn’t internal within their system yet.”
Singh said the officer then began a DUI investigation. He said he cooperated with officers and passed a field sobriety test and a breath test.
Police subsequently took him to Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC), where a blood sample was collected to test for drugs.
“I don’t take any types of intoxicants,” Singh said. “So for me, it wasn’t even an issue whether I would comply or not. I would absolutely show up.”
Singh said he obtained his own drug test at the same medical facility the following day and received the results in less than an hour.
The documents he presented at the news conference indicated negative results for the substances included in that test.
However, there is an important distinction between the two tests: Singh’s independent test was conducted using a urine sample, while police collected a blood sample as part of their investigation.
The results from the two tests are not directly interchangeable, and the independent urine test does not establish what the pending blood test will show.
Singh questioned why he was told the official results could take weeks when he received his own results so quickly. He pointed to timestamps on the documents to support his account.
California’s implied consent law provides a framework for collecting evidentiary samples in DUI investigations. Depending on the circumstances, testing may involve breath, blood or, in specified cases, urine. Law enforcement determines the appropriate testing method under applicable law and procedures.
Fresno police said the blood test results could take weeks. When asked which substances were included in the department’s toxicology testing, police said they were unsure which drugs were listed in the report.
FOX26 also contacted Community Regional Medical Center to verify the report Singh presented. The hospital said it could not release that information.
The timing of Singh’s arrest has drawn additional attention with Election Day approaching.
At the news conference, Singh said he wants the circumstances surrounding the arrest reviewed objectively.
“I believe we should address those questions through documentation, transparency, and an objective review of the facts,” he said.
Singh also said he did not want to speculate about anyone’s motives but hoped there would be an investigation.
He expressed confidence that the official blood test would also come back negative.
Several supporters attended the news conference and voiced their support for the candidate.
One supporter described Singh as someone who does not use substances and highlighted his work as an executive director of a youth substance abuse program.
Another supporter said they believed Singh had been wrongly accused.
The statements reflect the supporters’ views; the official toxicology results remain pending.
FOX26 also reached out to Singh’s opponent, Rob Fuentes, for comment.
In a statement, Fuentes said he was waiting for the official toxicology report from Fresno police before drawing further conclusions about the incident.
“I am waiting on the results of the official toxicology reports from Fresno PD before passing further judgment on this incident,” Fuentes said.
Fuentes also raised questions about Singh’s response to the arrest, alleging that Singh sent a mass text message attacking him rather than publicly addressing the incident when media outlets contacted him.
“Ultimately, I hope voters focus on the issues facing our district, such as the cost of living/affordability, public safety, and community revitalization efforts, including fixing our roads and sidewalks and expanding our parks,” Fuentes said. “This is what I’ll be focused on heading into Election Day.”
The investigation remains unresolved as Singh awaits the results of the blood test collected by police.
For now, Singh is maintaining his innocence and pointing to the negative results from his independent urine test, while authorities have yet to release the official toxicology findings.