Morning Becomes Arrested

I would have loved to have seen the reaction today from Sandra Tsing Loh and Cindy Burkey when they read in Saturday's paper about the arrest of KCRW's Chris Douridas (above).

You may remember the hubub when Loh was dropped from KCRW because she accidentally let the "f" word slip -- which then accidentally got broadcast. And Burkey was let go after... well, it's still not quite clear, something about a listener complaining about her voice to KCRW general manager Ruth Seymour.

So accidental "f" bomb and a listener complaint: Grounds for dismissal. Arrest for allegedly drugging a 14-year-old and trying to kidnap her? Not even a week's suspension.

That's what Douridas-- who hosted "Morning Becomes Eclectic" from 1990 to 1998 -- was accused of doing last week in Santa Monica:

Douridas, 43, was arrested shortly after midnight Jan. 6, said Lt. Frank Fabrega of the Santa Monica Police Department. Witnesses, who reported seeing Douridas put a substance into the victim's drink and carry her out of the Circle Bar on Main Street, flagged down police, Fabrega said. A man, identified by authorities only as in his 30s, was arrested as a possible accomplice to Douridas.

The unidentified girl, who became ill, was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, Fabrega said. It was unclear how the girl got into the bar.

Douridas, a Pacific Palisades resident, was released by police after posting $1-million bail.

The Los Angeles district attorney's office, which is still gathering evidence in the case, is awaiting toxicology results before deciding whether to file charges, said Eva Jabber, deputy district attorney with the sex crimes division.

Douridas was back on the air Saturday, hosting his usual 2-hour "New Ground" show, and it was kinda weird. At least, it was for those of us who read the LATimes article. Douridas obviously never mentioned anything... and it's still so bizarre. Why was the 14-year-old in the bar? What did he supposedly stick in her drink? Will the DA file charges? It's not so clear... which I suppose is why KCRW decided to keep him on the air.

Piece of trivia: Douridas' show was originally called "Ground Zero." The title was changed after 9/11, when "Ground Zero" became synonymous with the World Trade Center site.