BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy was fired last week on the same day he was arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend, the agency confirmed to Local 10 News Friday.
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A spokesman for BSO confirmed that Michel Quinones, 40, was “terminated for failure to meet probationary standards.”
A BSO termination form for Quinones shows that he was fired on Friday, June 6.
Jail records show he was arrested the same day on one count each of robbery by sudden snatching without a weapon, tampering with a witness to hinder or delay communication with law enforcement and battery involving dating violence.
According to an arrest report, the incident between Quinones and his girlfriend of 11 months, Tiffany Saster Carreras, occurred the morning of June 6 at the woman’s home in Cooper City.
Authorities said they responded to the home after a friend of the alleged victim’s reported that she received an “SOS” message from the woman via Instagram and was then unable to reach her by phone.
Detectives said the victim claimed that the couple had been out drinking before they got into an argument about Quinones receiving a phone call from another woman the victim was “suspicious” about.
Authorities aid Quinones became angry and ordered his girlfriend to get out of his car.
According to the report, the two eventually made their way to the victim’s home where Quinones is accused of smashing the victim’s cellphone and “pushing or striking Saster, causing her to fly backwards a few steps.”
Authorities said the woman claimed he also broke things in her house, pushed her against the stairs and poured Gatorade on her.
Saster Carreras told a Broward County judge over the weekend that she believes the charges overstate what happened.
“I don’t think how the state is presenting the case is how the things happened,” she told the judge during Saturday’s court hearing.
“Yes, I did tell him that I was going to call the police and that was when he grabbed my phone or I gave him the phone,” she added.
Saster Carreras explained there was a lapse of time between when she made the statement about calling 911 and when the phone was taken.
“There were probably 20 minutes in between ‘cause I told him I was going to call the cops, but that was outside my house and when he grabbed my phone, we were already in the garage. I had my phone in my hand, but I was not actively trying to call 911,” she said.
Saster Carreras also told the court that she did not feel the robbery charge was appropriate and said she is not afraid of Quinones.
“As far as contact, what are your feelings about that?” the judge asked Carreras.
“I’m not concerned. I’m not in fear of my life or anything like that,” she responded.
Still, prosecutors recommended no contact between the two, citing earlier statements made to law enforcement.
“She’s not remembering it all correctly. Based off of her statement to law enforcement, this was a pretty violent incident, so I would just recommend no victim contact at all,” a representative from the Broward State Attorney’s Office said.
The judge ultimately set Quinones’ bond at $5,000, ordered standard pre-trial supervision, and imposed a no harmful contact order. He is also prohibited from possessing weapons or firearms.
Quinones has since been released from jail.
