Alleged Beating by Padre Caught on Tape
All-Star outfielder Brian Giles being sued for $10 million
Updated 2:14 PM PST, Wed, Dec 17, 2008
A videotape released Tuesday shows San Diego Padre Brian Giles allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend in an Arizona bar.
Giles isn't commenting on a civil lawsuit filed against the Padres star outfielder. He is accused of verbally and physically abusing his former girlfriend during their relationship.
The lawsuit claims the El Cajon native beat his ex-girlfriend Cheri Olvera, 32, while she was pregnant with his child.
The surveillance video was shot in an Arizona bar in August 2006 and was released Tuesday for Olvera's attorney in the case. According to a Phoenix police report, a man seen in the tape walking toward the bar is Giles, a Padres outfielder. The man is seen talking to a woman who's sitting down at the bar.At one point, it appears he pulls the woman's hair. Moments later, the two are seen walking out into the hallway.
A few seconds pass, then the woman can be seen falling to the ground.
Several witnesses told police that they watched Giles slap the woman in the head, knocking her to the ground. In the surveillance video, one of the witnesses can be seen mimicking a slap to another bar patron.
"It was all swept under the rug, and we're making sure it's not being swept under the rug this time," said Cary Goldstein, who is representing Olvera in the $10 million civil lawsuit against Giles.
The alleged abuse includes numerous beatings during their seven-year long relationship.
Olvera claims that in 2002, Giles beat her while she was pregnant with his baby. Olvera later miscarried. Goldstein said Olvera doesn't blame Giles for that miscarriage, but he said she does blame Giles for another miscarriage. He said that earlier this year, she became pregnant again with Giles' baby. According to Goldstein, Olvera lost the baby after Giles allegedly threw her down a hallway.
Olvera left Giles in April of this year.
The suit also details a financial agreement Olvera claims she and Giles had in the event their relationship ended. She claims he broke that agreement by not supporting her financially.
As for the case in Phoenix, Goldstein said Giles was ordered to attend anger-management and domestic-abuse classes
NBC tried to contact Gile's attorney for a comment, but the calls were not returned.
First Published: Dec 17, 2008 8:46 AM PST
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