A Miramar Police officer who was arrested back in December after authorities said he choked his girlfriend during an argument is no longer facing charges.
Officer Orlando Marrero had been arrested on a charge of domestic battery by strangulation after an alleged fight with his girlfriend in Hialeah.
According to a memo from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, the case was closed Tuesday when the alleged victim didn't appear at two pre-trial conferences and didn't show up for Marrero's trial.
"The State had no other choice, but to dismiss the case because the victim, an essential witness, failed to appear for trial and previous mandatory subpoenas," the memo read.
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According to an arrest report, the girlfriend told officers she was involved in a verbal argument with Marrero because he wanted to end their relationship and move out of their home a week before Christmas.
She said it escalated when she took a computer mouse and threw it on the floor, breaking it, and that's when she said Marrero grabbed her by the throat "causing her to have a hard time to breathe" and she began to see "stars," the report said.
She struggled to get away and said she wound up in a headlock, but didn't know how she got out of it, the report said.
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When she took her phone out to try to call her son for help Marrero slapped it out of her hand, the report said.
She said she ran to get the phone and he wrapped his arms around her, but eventually let go when the off-duty officer separated them, the report said.
An off-duty Medley officer said he was driving by and saw Marrero wrestling his girlfriend in the front of the home and heard a female scream "let me go," the report said.
The report said the girlfriend was bruised on both arms and had scratch marks on her shoulder blade.
Marrero, who had been with the police department since August 2022, was arrested and booked into jail. He was relieved of duty while the case was being investigated but his current status with the department was unknown.
At the time of his arrest, Marrero's attorney said in a statement that he was the victim in the case.
"Orlando Marrero is innocent of all charges. He is the true victim in this case and has been for a while but as a man and police officer being the victim of domestic violence is very difficult to confront so he decided to break up and leave," attorney Stephan Lopez said in the statement. "His now now ex-girlfriend, unhappy with the breakup and losing control, decided to fabricate a story to get him back. The truth will come out, there are other witnesses who have seen her controlling and aggressive behavior towards him. Orlando is innocent and in court the truth will come out!"
