The wife of Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna told officers she and her husband argued and he threatened to kill her before she called 911, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Channel 2 Action News.
Ozuna, 30, was arrested Saturday after Sandy Springs officers reported seeing him choke his wife, throw her against a wall and strike her with the cast on his broken fingers. After he spends two nights in the Fulton County jail, Ozuna will find out Monday whether he’ll be granted bond.
But it’s not yet known when Ozuna will know his status with the team and Major League Baseball, which has taken a tough stance against domestic violence in recent years.
According to court documents reported by Channel 2, Ozuna’s wife, Genesis, told investigators she was taking a shower when her husband entered the bathroom and took both of her cellphones and refused to give them back.
Ozuna’s wife told police that she was afraid for her life due to his “aggressive behavior and being physically abusive towards her in the past,” court documents stated.
Ozuna told police he left the home with the phones and when he returned, his wife was holding a knife.
Sandy Springs police Sgt. Salvador Ortega said when officers arrived at the home, they heard screaming from inside the home and the front door was open.
“Officers entered the residence through the open door and witnessed the suspect grabbing the victim by the neck and throwing her against a wall,” Ortega said in an emailed statement. “Officers were able to immediately take the suspect into custody without further incident. In addition to the strangulation attempts, the suspect also struck the victim with his arm which has a cast from a previous injury.”
Investigators said Ozuna’s wife had visible injuries but did not go to the hospital. The couple’s children were not in the home at the time, Ortega said Sunday.
Police charged Ozuna with aggravated assault by strangulation and family violence, jail records showed. He was being held without bond Sunday at the Fulton County jail. Ozuna is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Last week, Ozuna broke two fingers in a game, was placed on the injured list, and the team said he is expected to miss several weeks. After the team’s game Saturday night in New York, manager Brian Snitker said he was aware of the arrest.
Earlier Saturday night, the team released a statement on social media about Ozuna’s arrest.
“We learned of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest earlier this evening and immediately informed the Commissioner’s Office,” the team said. “The Braves fully support Major League Baseball’s policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form. Until the investigation is completed, we will have no further comment and all inquiries into the matter should be referred to the Office of the Commissioner.”
The arrest comes a year to the day after Genesis Ozuna was arrested in Miami after a domestic dispute when she allegedly struck him with a soap dish.
In 2016, a Braves player was suspended for 82 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Hector Olivera, then 32, was arrested on April 13, 2016, and charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery for allegedly beating a female acquaintance in an incident at the team hotel in Arlington, Va., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. The Braves later traded Olivera, who retired the following year.
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