Manny Ramirez was released from jail on $2,500 bail Tuesday afternoon following a brief court appearance in which he was ordered to avoid contact with his wife. Ramirez was arrested Monday evening and faces misdemeanor battery charges after allegedly striking his wife on the face during an argument at the couple's home in Weston, a suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
The Broward Sheriff's Office released a recording of the 911 call placed by Juliana Ramirez, Manny's wife. From the AP:
"My husband just hit me," Juliana Ramirez says calmly on the tape.
When the dispatcher asks where she was struck, Juliana replies, "My face and my head, in the bed. I have a bump on my head."
The dispatcher then asks if Juliana has a safe room to get away from her husband.
"He’s not doing anything anymore because he knows I’m calling the police," she says. Later, Juliana told sheriff’s deputies she called 911 because she was afraid the situation would escalate.
Ramirez denies striking his wife, telling the police he merely grabbed his wife by the shoulders, which accidentally resulted in her head hitting the headboard of their bed. Ramirez briefly spoke to one TV reporter in Spanish but offered to the rest of the media. He was picked up by a family member, who offered her support:
"He’s my brother; we love him no matter what. He’s an amazing guy and we love him no matter what," she said before rolling up the window. She refused to give her name.
If convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment, Ramirez could receive up to a year in jail.