Hayward domestic violence suspect ordered victim to bail him out: DA

(KRON) — A Hayward man is accused of committing domestic violence against his pregnant newlywed wife, harassed her with phone calls from jail, and demanded that she bail him out.

Julio Cesar Cruz, 26, and the victim have been married for three months, prosecutors said. On March 18, Cruz punched his wife while she was six months pregnant with his child, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.

On March 24 at 5:45 p.m., Cruz drank half a bottle of vodka before he decided to drive to In-N-Out Burger in Redwood City with the victim, prosecutors said.

“Defendant was driving drunk and victim wanted (to get) out of the car,” the DA’s office wrote. When the wife tried to open her door to get out, her husband grabbed her, pulled her back into the vehicle, and drove off.

“Defendant told her he would kill her, their child, and himself,” the DA’s office wrote. After Cruz crashed his vehicle, the victim was able to escape and run away. She reported what happened to police.

Redwood City Police Department officers booked the husband into a San Mateo County jail on suspicion of domestic violence. The next morning, around 6 a.m., Cruz called his wife from jail multiple times despite a court-issued restraining order, prosecutors said.

All inmates’ phone calls are recorded by jail authorities. Cruz told the victim to go to court, drop the charges against him, and help bail him out of jail. His wife warned Cruz that he was violating the restraining order and said the situation was his fault, according to prosecutors.

Cruz called the pregnant woman again later that day, ordering her to tell the district attorney or judge to drop the case, prosecutors said. “Defendant repeatedly told her that she had to go to court and say it was all an accident. Then he angrily accused her of going out with other men while he was locked up,” the DA’s office wrote.

The husband has pleaded not guilty to felony assault, false imprisonment, injuring a spouse, making criminal threats, and hit-and-run.

Cruz is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a bail hearing. As of Wednesday morning, he remained in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail.