Dany Villanueva arrested for drunk driving

Dany Villanueva, a key witness in the coroner's inquest into the police shooting death of his brother Fredy in Quebec, has been arrested for erratic driving,  failing an alcohol test and drug possession.

Police arrested the 23-year-old early Thursday morning in Charlemagne, a suburb east of Montreal.

Authorities say they pulled over Villanueva's car near the corner of Notre-Dame Street and Céline-Dion Boulevard after patrollers suspected the driver was drinking.

After a preliminary breathalyzer exam, Villanueva was taken to the local police station for more blood-alcohol tests. Officers also found marijuana on him during a routine body search, said Lanaudière police director Guy Bélair.

Two other men in the car were also detained at the station.

Villanueva is expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon to face charges related to his detention.

He is on parole for armed robbery, awaiting a deportation trial that may force him to return to his native Honduras.

Villanueva does not have Canadian citizenship, and the federal border services want his expulsion because of his criminal record.

Fredy Villanueva, 18, was in a park with Dany and friends when police shot and killed him.

The August 2008 shooting sparked riots in Montreal North and police were accused of racial profiling.

Lawyers representing the police force at the coroner's inquest have repeatedly attacked Dany Villanueva's credibility, because of his admitted involvement with street gangs. He says he is no longer a member.

The coroner's inquest was postponed until May because Villanueva had kidney stones and was too ill to testify.