San Jacinto councilmember and congressional candidate arrested for assault on juveniles

A San Jacinto city councilmember and former candidate for a congressional district that includes the Coachella Valley was arrested on suspicion of child abuse Sunday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Brian Eugene Hawkins, 44, who currently serves on the San Jacinto City Council, is being held Tuesday at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on four felony counts of assault with great bodily injury and child abuse charges. His bail is set at $200,000, county jail records show.

Hawkins was arrested Sunday at a residence in the 400 block of Mistletoe Avenue in San Jacinto, according to the sheriff's department, after deputies were dispatched there to a domestic incident. The department said in a release that Hawkins "committed an assault on two children at the location," but did not provide further details. Criminal charges have not been filed with the Riverside County Superior Court, but he is due in court in the coming days.

Hawkins ran for the 25th Congressional District seat, which includes the Coachella Valley, in 2022, but lost against incumbent Rep. Raul Ruiz. Hawkins had also announced his intention to challenge Rep. Ken Calvert for the 41st Congressional District in next year's election.

Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: San Jacinto city councilmember and congressional candidate arrested