FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A former Miami Dolphins running back and University of Miami Football standout made an appearance in a Broward County courtroom following his arrest for allegedly hitting his pregnant girlfriend.
Mark Walton, 22, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with one count of aggravated battery.
Davie Police arrested the running back Tuesday morning after, they said, he attacked his pregnant girlfriend.
“The officer that was on scene stated that he witnessed injuries to the left side of the victim’s facial area around the eye,” Davie Police detective Vivian Gallinal said.
In a recently released 911 call, Walton’s girlfriend could be heard telling the operator what had occurred.
“OK, tell me what happened,” the dispatcher asked.
“My boyfriend beat me up,” the caller said.
The dispatcher asked, “Your boyfriend beat you up?”
“Yes,” she replied.
The dispatcher asked, “Are there any children in the home?”
“Yeah,” the victim said.
The dispatcher then asked, “How old is your baby?”
“Two,” she replied.
Mike Gottlieb, Walton’s attorney, spoke to reporters outside of the courtroom.
“He feels badly that he’s been arrested,” Gottlieb said. “He feels badly that he’s having a situation with the mother of his child. Again, Mr. Walton denies striking her, so there’s nothing technically for him to be remorseful for. We’re denying the charges.”
According to the arrest report, the running back pushed his pregnant girlfriend against the wall of the Davie home they share and punched her several times.
Police records show that Walton was informed of the pregnancy on Sunday.
“For something like this, it’s generally a quiet neighborhood, well kept, and there’s never any issues,” neighbor Tom DeChristopher said.
Tuesday’s arrest was not the first time Walton found himself in trouble with the law.
He was charged with a misdemeanor after a fight in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood in February. In March, he was involved in a high-speed chase.
“You know, it’s an unfortunate situation,” Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said. “We felt like we had to make the move to release him, and that’s what it is.”
7News cameras captured Walton spinning and skipping out of the Broward County Jail after posting bond.
The judge ordered the 22-year-old not to contact his girlfriend.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.