Aroldis Chapman, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, is now under investigation for domestic violence. No charges have officially been filed, but Florida prosecutors have confirmed they are reviewing evidence regarding an incident that took place in October.
Chapman’s girlfriend, Cristina Barnea, is accusing Chapman of pushing her and choking her during an argument. Barnea says the argument was broken up by her brother and that Chapman left the house after it was broken up. A few minutes later Barnea says she heard gunshots and proceeded to take shelter and call the police.
Chapman acknowledges the argument happened, but denies he ever pushed or chocked Barnea. He claims he locked himself in the garage after the argument and then fired a few rounds into the wall with his handgun.
The case was originally deemed closed by police due to lack of evidence and cooperative witnesses.
In the state of Florida plaintiffs can pursue both criminal and civil charges. Since no charges have officially been filed, it’s unclear which option Barnea will go with.
Florida considers a wide range of crimes eligible to be classified as domestic violence if they are committed by a family or household member against another family or household member. The following crimes can all be considered domestic violence.
- Assault
- Aggravated assault
- Battery
- Aggravated battery
- Sexual assault
- Sexual battery
- Stalking
- Aggravated stalking
- Kidnapping
- False imprisonment
- Any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death
Again, these crimes must be committed by a fellow family or household member to qualify as domestic violence in Florida. The term family or household member includes: current and former spouses, relative by blood or in-laws, people who currently or formerly lived together as a family, or parents who have a child in common, regardless of whether they were ever married.
Facing domestic violence charges in Florida is no small mountain to climb. The lawyers at Bauer, Crider & Parry have more than 50 years of experience and are skilled in handling domestic violence cases.