Police responded to numerous domestic violence calls and
disputes after parties and events
Morgan Hill – A couple of domestic celebrations turned nasty this weekend, as local cops responded to a surge in domestic violence calls at which officers arrested four men on charges related to domestic violence and responded to six calls for service involving some sort of domestic dispute, Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing said.
Jeremiah Maldonado, 24, was booked into Santa Clara County Jail after he tried to run down his girlfriend in her car Friday, Swing said. Maldonado, who was on parole, had battered his girlfriend in their apartment in Morgan Hill. Later, as she was driving with her 4-year-old boy in the back seat, Maldonado bit her on the shoulder and tried to accelerate the car.
The girlfriend regained control of the car, pulled over and got out. As she was starting to get her son from the back seat, Maldonado slid over into the driver’s seat, and, though he was intoxicated, Swing said, drove off in her car with the 4-year-old still inside.
Swing said Maldonado was driving recklessly and then turned the car around and drove toward his girlfriend as if he was trying to run her down. She then ran into a neighbor’s house and called police.
Maldonado was taken to Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, driving under the influence, possession of a stolen vehicle, suspicion of making criminal threats, child endangerment and a parole hold.
The weekend flurry of activity began about 1:15pm Friday afternoon when an officer stopped a woman who was driving on a suspended license. Swing said she told the officer she had been arguing with her husband the weekend before, he pushed her into the stove and hot cooking oil splashed, burning her chest.
Swing said the husband, who has a prior warrant out of Gilroy for domestic violence, is still at large.
About 8pm the next day, officers responded to a call of a husband and wife arguing. According to the wife, her husband grabbed her neck and pushed her down on the couch and held her there, while he slapped her face several times. Swing said she told police the husband let her up from the couch to get a glass of water, and she ran next door and called 911 because she was having a panic attack. Emergency medical personnel responded and called police, Swing said. The 25-year-old husband was booked into Santa Clara County jail for spousal abuse.
Then, early Sunday morning, about 1:20am, a 60-year-old man on probation for previous domestic violence charges assaulted his girlfriend. The girlfriend told police he came home drunk, and they had an argument. He threw her on the bed, Swing said, and while she was trying to get to her cell phone, he took it to prevent her from calling the police. He fled, Swing said, and has not been apprehended. He has two outstanding warrants and a restraining order against him requiring “peaceful contact” with his girlfriend.
Another boyfriend/girlfriend conflict sent a 32-year-old man to Santa Clara County Jail, Swing said. On Sunday night, a couple were drinking alcohol, got into a hot tub, then when the girlfriend wanted to get out of the tub and make a phone call, the boyfriend didn’t want her to and an argument ensued. She got out of the tub, and her boyfriend followed, knocking her down several times and then holding her down to prevent her from leaving. She had multiple scrapes and some bruises. She managed to get to a neighbor’s house to call police, Swing said.
