State Rep. Christina Ayala charged in domestic fight

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Greenwichtime.com:

BRIDGEPORT -- Newly elected state Rep. Christina Ayala tried to talk police out of arresting her on domestic violence charges Monday night after she slapped her boyfriend for cheating on her.

"She said that she did not want us involved because of who she was," the police report states. Ayala and her boyfriend, Pedro Rodriguez-Ortiz, were charged with breach of peace.

The arrest also raised questions about whether Ayala, a Democrat who was overwhelmingly elected to the 128th District seat, actually lives in her district. The 49 Hillside Avenue address where the incident occurred is not located in the 128th House district, but in the 129th district.

When they arrived at Hillside Ave. about 11:45 p.m., police said they found Pedro Rodriguez-Ortiz, 37, standing on the front porch in an intoxicated state. When they asked him who was inside, he responded: "My girlfriend, state representative Ayala."

Ayala told them everything was fine and that she did not call police.

She told the officers her boyfriend had been out drinking and cheating on her and that they had an argument and were yelling at each other. During the argument Rodriguez-Ortiz called 911, but no one had hit each other, she told officers.

Rodriguez-Ortiz then began yelling at officers: "You're a politician and you aren't going to do (expletive)," according to the report.

They said Rodriguez-Ortiz told them he was sleeping on a couch when Ayala came over and slapped him on the left side of the face. But as officers continued questioning him, they said Rodriguez-Ortiz became argumentative, yelling and swearing and they ended up arresting him.

In the meantime, officers continued to question Ayala. They said she first denied slapping Rodriguez-Ortiz, and then admitted she had.

During the campaign, Ayala said she lived on Noble Avenue in the city's East Side. She is registered to vote under that address; but public records show the utilities at the Hillside Avenue address were connected under Ayala's name in October 2011. She also has a cellphone registered using that address.

She doesn't seem to have any bills listed under the Noble Avenue address. State law dictates that any candidate who wins an election must move into the district within three months.

On Tuesday afternoon, Ayala arrived at the Golden Hill Street courthouse with her mother, Democratic registrar of voters Sandi Ayala.

State Rep. Ayala is no stranger to the courthouse. Just two weeks ago she was there to face charges of evading responsibility, failure to obey a traffic signal and failure to renew her vehicle's registration in connection with a hit-and-run crash in August.

When she appeared before Superior Court Judge Earl Richards on the most recent charge, she stood chewing gum as the judge reviewed the litany of things she can no longer do under a protective order he was imposing on her.

Ayala momentarily stopped her gum chewing to answer "yes" when Richards asked her if she understood his order.

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Bridgeport must be so proud...