Melissa Quesada, the New York State director of Latino affairs, reportedly allegedly attacked her partner on Sunday, Nov. 3 in her New Rochelle home and she was arrested by police on Thursday, Nov. 21, according to court papers obtained by The New York Post.
It is alleged that Quesada left her baby unattended in a bathtub and attacked her then-partner, Adrian Daniel Roman, the father of their child. The pair is now estranged, reports state.
Quesada, 41, allegedly grabbed Roman by the neck with her hand, dug her nails into the side of his neck and caused “substantial pain.” Her conduct “caused him to fear for his safety and become harassed and afraid,” the indictment states. Roman reportedly had lacerations on his neck and had difficulty swallowing following the alleged attack.
At the time of the alleged domestic assault, Quesada was on maternity leave, the Post reported.
She’s been charged with assault with the intent to cause physical injury and endangering the welfare of a child. A protective order was also issued on behalf of Quesada’s alleged victim.
She’s currently released and scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Feb. 4 to respond to the domestic abuse charge.
Quesada - who won the title of Miss Latin America in 2006 - was appointed as Cuomo’s director of Latino affairs in 2016 after she served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Worker Protection at the Department of Labor. She also served on the board of the National Puerto Rican Day Parada Committee.
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