In a statement, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Ramon C. Mafnas said: “The department’s policies and procedures, including that of the Civil Service System, governing the conduct of all DPS officers/personnel will be applied to the fullest extent.”
He added, “The weapons of officers accused of domestic violence will be confiscated without delay. Those found guilty of domestic violence in a court of law face adverse action, including immediate termination.”
Judge Kenneth L. Govendo retained the $10,000 bail order on Reyes, who was remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections after the court hearing.
Assistant Attorney General Shelli Neal represented the government.
The Public Defender’s Office said it has conflict in representing Reyes as the victim is a PDO client.
Detective Peter Aldan was assigned to the case after the victim called police for assistance on Aug. 15, 2011 at about 4 p.m.
Aldan met the victim at the Adult Probation Office, together with her nine-year-old daughter.
Aldan said the victim sustained a dark purple bruise on her outer right arm, bruises on her left wrist, front shoulder, right side of her neck below and slightly to the rear of her right ear, and a small bruise on the right side of her back.
On Aug. 13, police said Reyes, the victim, and the victim’s daughter were in their residence at the Kannat Gardens.
Reyes was playing PS2, the child was playing her DS game, and the victim was resting on the couch, when she asked Reyes for money.
After the victim asked Reyes for the third time, the officer responded that his paycheck was none of her business, and “it’s not a million.”
The victim responded that she knew it was not worth a million dollars, and that she was merely asking Reyes “to at least help with the apartment, or just give a simple answer to her question.”
An argument ensued with Reyes later grabbing the victim by her neck with both of his hands, and pushing her many times, police said.
The victim then picked a baseball bat and told Reyes, “you’re not going to hit me anymore.”
But Reyes grabbed the bat, held it across the victim’s chest, and threw it toward the kitchen area.
Police said while the victim pretended talking to an officer on her phone, Reyes suddenly grabbed and pulled her right arm “real hard” and punched the victim’s right arm “once, really hard.”
Police said the victim grabbed the bat and threatened to break Reyes’ issued firearm that the defendant took under the couch.
Reyes again took the bat from the victim and threw it down to the floor.
The nine-year-old child was already crying and was scared of Reyes, police said.
The following day, at about 9 p.m., Reyes lowered the volume of the laptop that was being used by the victim.
Police said when the child complained, the defendant talked to her in an angry voice, telling her not to talk back at him “or I’ll break your face.”
The child, who is the officer’s step-daughter, covered her face with her hands and started crying.
The victim told Reyes not to touch her daughter again “or I’ll have you escorted out of here.”
When Reyes blamed the child for his being thrown out of the house because of her, the victim told him their relationship was over.
The next day, Aug. 15, the victim went to the Adult Probation Office after her work and reported the incident.
