An Aventura Police officer arrested on kidnapping and other serious charges made an unlawful stop and detained two people at gunpoint, according to a new arrest warrant.
Officer David Esteban Delgado, 30, was arrested by the Broward Sheriff's Office Wednesday on two counts of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, battery, and engaging in a criminal offense with a weapon, jail records showed.
Aventura Police officials said the alleged incident involving Delgado happened in Pompano Beach on the night of May 20.
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According to the warrant released Thursday, Delgado made an unlawful stop and unlawfully detained two people against their will at gunpoint "for over four minutes."
During the incident, Delgado caused a minor injury to one of the victims' knees, the warrant said.
A complaint was later filed by by the two alleged victims, and Aventura Police launched an internal affairs investigation, officials said.
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The Broward Sheriff's Office Public Corruption Unit also launched an investigation and decided to proceed with charges, officials said.
Following his arrest, Delagdo was suspended without pay, officials said.
"We have fully cooperated with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation," Aventura Police said in a statement. "We will not be making any further comments until our Internal Affairs Unit has completed a thorough investigation and conferred with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office."
Delgado was booked into jail Wednesday. During a court appearance in Broward Thursday, he was granted a $61,000 bond.
His attorney argued Delgado wasn't a flight risk and had surrendered voluntarily. The attorney also said Delgado's wife's cell phone had been stolen and he tracked it down to the two men he's accused of kidnapping.
"My understanding, judge, is his wife’s cell phone was stolen. Due to the tracking on the iPhone it pinged where the location are and these gentlemen were in possession, so this whole interaction lasted five minutes, judge," the attorney said.
Delgado's wife, in an exclusive interview with NBC6, also defended her husband's actions.
"As I told you before, God knows like the truth and what’s happening and what had happened before, so there’s nothing else I can say," she said. "I have no words at this moment, I am as surprised as you, like, he’s being arrested because I don’t understand how the justice is working right now but there’s nothing else I can say."
As part of his bond, Delgado will have to surrender his passport and any weapons.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show Delgado was hired by Aventura Police in February 2019, and it was his first job in Florida law enforcement.
