A University of Houston football player has been taken into custody following allegations of assaulting a pregnant woman.
Carmello Dedric Brooks, 19, was apprehended last Thursday by campus law enforcement authorities, as documented in court filings reviewed by the Daily Mail. Following his release, he has posted a $15,000 bond and is no longer in police custody. On the other hand, the woman provided a statement to KPRC 2 News, asserting that Brooks had not engaged in any form of assault and had demonstrated no aggressive behavior toward her under any circumstances.
She reported that law enforcement personnel found a bruise on her arm.
Brooks is accused of “intentionally, knowingly and recklessly” inflicting “bodily injury” upon the woman “by picking her up and slamming her to the ground, according to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors. A disagreement ensued at Brooks’ residence after she learned that she is pregnant, according to her account. She said that she declined to depart the premises, prompting Brooks to contact emergency services and subsequently remove her from the location by lifting and placing her outside. Brooks, who is classified as a sophomore, has yet to appear in any game during the current season, according to ESPN.
The prosecution contends that “at the time of the assault the defendant [Brooks] knew the complainant was pregnant. Brooks has been charged with felony assault targeting a pregnant woman, as documented in judicial records. “We are aware of an incident involving a Houston Football student-athlete. We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and are gathering more information,” a spokesperson for Houston Athletics stated. Given that Brooks was sought for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant unrelated to this incident, she stated her belief that he would not face charges pertaining to her case.
Additional information regarding the alleged incident was disclosed during a probable cause hearing conducted on Friday, as per local news station KPRC.
Responding officers documented and observed apparent physical injuries sustained by the victim, according to the reports. During the hearing, law enforcement testimony stated that the victim had recently learned of her pregnancy. Brooks allegedly proceeded to compress her arms, forcefully throw her to the ground, and position himself on top of her to restrain her.
