'La Bamba' Star Charged in Domestic Spat

The Associated Press
Thursday, September 21, 2006; 11:12 PM

LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors charged actor Lou Diamond Phillips on Thursday with domestic battery in connection with an incident last month involving his live-in girlfriend.

Phillips, best known for his roles in "La Bamba" and "Stand and Deliver," could face a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor charge. His arraignment was scheduled for Oct. 18.


Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is shown in this May 24, 1996 file photo.  Prosecutors charged Phillips on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 with domestic battery for an incident last month involving his live-in girlfriend. (AP Photo/Paul Hurschmann, File)
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is shown in this May 24, 1996 file photo. Prosecutors charged Phillips on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 with domestic battery for an incident last month involving his live-in girlfriend. (AP Photo/Paul Hurschmann, File) (Paul Hurschmann - AP)

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According to police reports, the 44-year-old actor got into an argument with his girlfriend, and it escalated into a physical fight in the early hours of Aug. 11. His girlfriend, who was not identified in court documents, "was pushed and dragged across the house resulting in scrapes to both knees," City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo said in a statement.

The woman grabbed a phone, locked herself in a bathroom and dialed 9-1-1, Delgadillo said. Phillips was arrested and held for about 10 hours before being released.

A message left for Phillips' publicist, Eddie Michaels, was not immediately returned. It was not immediately known whether Phillips had retained a lawyer.

In recent years, Phillips has made a number of guest appearances on TV, including "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "24."


© 2006 The Associated Press