Hunter
12/23/19
An Iowa City man faces a host of charges after allegedly assaulting his 12-year-old daughter.
According to arrest reports, 28-year-old Jorge Maldonado of the Forest View Trailer Court on Laura Drive was getting upset with his live-in girlfriend and their three daughters Sunday afternoon. The main issue was the oldest daughter, aged 12.
Police say around 3pm, Maldonado was yelling at the girl over a variety of topics. At some point, the mother came out and protected her by sitting by her on a chair. It’s then that Maldonado is accused of winding up and punching the woman in the lower left back just by the belt line. The force of the punch was such that the woman was still complaining of pain ten hours later.
Later around 9pm, Maldonado was scolding the daughter in her room, causing the two younger daughters to leave. The 12-year-old then went into her mother’s room, but Maldonado told her to leave the room. She refused because she was scared. Maldonado is then accused of grabbing the girl and pulling her into the hallway by her hair, dragging her to the couch in the living room, continuing to yell at her. He’s alleged to have slapped her on the side of her face, pulling her to the ground and hitting her head on the floor a couple of times.
He told the mother not to call the police, because things could be way worse, and mentioned killing everyone and setting the house on fire.
The daughter was observed with a bruise and redness on her forehead, a red mark in her hairline, and marks on her right cheek and neck.
Maldonado is also accused of possessing a kitchen knife on his person during the incident, although he didn’t have it in his hands at the time.
Officers caught up with Maldonado early Monday morning around 1:50 near the intersection of Dubuque Street and Park Road. He was stopped for an illegal turn but was known as a suspect in the assault. A check of his records showed a revoked license for an OWI conviction.
Maldonado was arrested and charged with 3rd or subsequent domestic assault, child endangerment causing serious injury, child endangerment, and driving while license suspended and revoked. If convicted on all charges, Maldonado could be sentenced to up to 18 years in prison.