Former Florida cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis turned himself in to Gainesville authorities early Tuesday morning and was arrested on charges of domestic battery by strangulation, unarmed burglary, battery, kidnapping and obstructing justice by tampering.
Pierre-Louis, who turned himself in at 2:16 a.m. according to Alachua County Jail records, was sought by police after being accused of pinning a girlfriend against a countertop and choking her on Sunday morning, when police say he entered her home and found her with another person, who fled the scene.
During his court appearance, the victim spoke in support of Pierre-Louis, saying Pierre-Louis had a key to her apartment, according to an article by the Gainesville Sun. The woman said he “wasn’t a danger,” the article said.
His bond was reduced from $185,000 to $40,000, the article stated.
Pierre-Louis had just completed his senior season with the football team and was working toward a degree in sociology.
The turmoil comes soon after he discovered that his family’s home in Haiti was destroyed during last week’s earthquake.
Katherine Bein contributed to this article.