Pedro Moreno, a Cuban actor known for his telenovela roles, was released from a Miami-Dade jail Thursday overnight after a judge found no probable cause for the strongarm robbery charge he was arrested on, stemming from a domestic dispute with his wife.
Moreno, 44, was taken into custody late Wednesday at the couple’s home in the 3800 block of SW 150th Ct. in Miami-Dade. He had been accused of forcibly taking his wife’s cellphone during an argument, prompting the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to charge him with strongarm robbery, a second-degree felony.
But during a bond hearing Thursday, a judge instead found probable cause for a misdemeanor battery charge and set bond at $1,000. Moreno was ordered to pay 10% of that amount and will be supervised through pretrial services.
Miami-Dade judge allows contact for parenting purposes
The judge also issued a modified stay-away order, allowing Moreno to attend his children’s activities despite restrictions on contact with his wife.
His wife appeared virtually during the hearing and testified that the couple, married for 17 years and currently undergoing an uncontested divorce, had joint custody of their three children, ages 11, 17, and 21. She described the incident as a one-time occurrence, saying Moreno had never been violent with her before and had been a good husband and father. She also stated she would like the case to be dismissed.
Incident involved cellphone struggle
The arrest report states the argument began when Moreno was using his wife’s phone and allegedly “snooping” through it, which sparked a dispute over possible infidelities. When his wife demanded her phone back, a struggle ensued, and Moreno allegedly took the phone, valued at approximately $250, from her hands.
The couple’s oldest daughter witnessed the incident and allowed her mother to use her phone to call police. The report notes no injuries were reported, and Moreno returned the phone before officers arrived. After being read his Miranda rights, he gave what the sheriff’s office called a “self-serving statement.”
Pedro Moreno speaks out after Miami-Dade jail release
Speaking to reporters as he left jail, Moreno asked for the media to refer to the official affidavit and to avoid speculation.
“Whatever my wife said is the truth. Read the affidavit — don’t add a word, don’t take a word out,” he said in Spanish early Friday outside the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. “The situation between my wife and me, and our conversations, show that we are a real couple — like many couples — who have arguments, happy times, and moments of crisis.”
“She made decisions that had consequences. Now I’m making decisions that will also have consequences for the future of our relationship. What happens from now on will be up to the two of us, with the affection we still have for each other — and for the good of our kids,” the actor added.
Moreno has appeared in popular telenovelas including El Rostro de Analía, Una familia con suerte and Me declaro culpable.
