Cuban actor Pedro Moreno was arrested following an argument with his wife in which he allegedly took her phone. NBC6’s Chernéy Amhara reports.
Cuban actor Pedro Moreno bonded out of a South Florida jail Friday morning after his wife called 911 during a dispute over a phone, and he offered a few words on the charges against him as he left.
Moreno, 44, was arrested Wednesday night following an argument with his wife of 17 years, Barbara Estevez. The two, who share three kids together, are in the process of getting a divorce.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HERE"Simply read what the official report says, word for word, that exactly is what happened," he said in Spanish to reporters when he left a Miami-Dade jail at around 3:30 a.m. "The situation between my wife and I, and our conversations, show that we are a real couple, like many couples that have arguments and have moments of happiness and moments of crisis."
According to the arrest report, his wife allowed Moreno to use her cellphone when he allegedly began snooping through it, leading to an argument about possible infidelities.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
"He wouldn’t give me my phone, he wanted to still look through it ... I'm gonna call the police," Estevez said. "...I called the police, not thinking anything was gonna happen."
She said that while she was on the phone with police, Moreno gave her back her phone.
Local
Moreno was initially arrested on a charge of strong-arm robbery, but the judge found no probable cause. Instead, he found probable cause for battery.
Estevez appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Thursday and spoke in favor of her husband. She said she wants the case against him dismissed.
"I didn’t know that by calling, they would have to do a full investigation and basically take him in, otherwise I would've never called because he was never violent," she said.
In court, Estevez tried pleading with the judge to get the case dismissed.
"Is there any way of dismissing the case? He’s not a violent person… we've never had an issue like this before," she told the judge.
The state explained that it's ultimately up to them whether to file but will take her feelings into account.
Moreno was granted a $1,000 bond. The judge also modified the stay-away order so that he can have contact with his wife and attend his son’s play this weekend.
Pedro Moreno's comments after bonding out of jail
As he left jail at around 3 a.m., Moreno offered brief comments about the charges against him.
"What I do want to say is that I heard inside that they're saying I robbed a store, that I went in armed... to my home to steal my wife's phone," he said. "That's totally off."
When told his wife spoke to reporters about what had happened, he said: "Good... whatever she said is correct."
"Our moments, we will resolve them ourselves within the peace of our home, or wherever we have to, but without the help of the media," he said. "I appreciate you guys being up to date with the situation, but there's not more to say here."
When asked about how he would handle the situation with his children, the actor said he had an "excellent relationship" with his kids.
"We're going to handle it the way we always have... we're in a world of adults. This is not about blame," he said. "What we decide from here on out is our problem. She's an excellent woman, she always has been, an excellent mother. I love her a lot. She's always supported me. And this is simply out in the media because it escalated in a way it didn't have to."
He also confirmed their divorce, saying: "She made decisions that have consequences, and I then made decisions that have consequences, too, for the future of our relationship. What happens from here on out, she and I will determine with the care we have for each other, obviously, and for the good of our kids. Thanks for being up to date, I have to go."
