FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis appeared virtually in Broward County court on Friday morning to testify against a man who was once his partner, arrested on Wednesday after being accused of attacking him.
Daniel James Curran, 34, described in court documents as the 72-year-old mayor’s “domestic partner,” is facing charges of violating a domestic violence injunction and battery on a person 65 or older.
Trantalis, in bond court, called the case “a very complicated situation” and said he had secured the domestic violence injunction a few months ago.
“I thought maybe there was some way to rehabilitate Danny by trying to reconnect and hopefully steer him into counseling and mental health treatment,” Trantalis testified. “And I failed at that, and at the end ― this past weekend, he threw me to the ground. He committed everything that’s in the information, with regard to the violent act against me. And then I realized that there was no hope for this relationship.”
According to an arrest report from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, on Saturday, Curran “pushed (Trantalis) with both hands,” then, after the mayor tried fighting him off, grabbed Trantalis by his leg, pulled him to the ground, and dragged him “approximately 15 feet” across a road, leaving Trantalis with injuries to his wrist, left leg and right knee.
Police said in the report that they arrested Curran on Wednesday after he showed up in Trantalis’ driveway in violation of the protection order.
The police report states that the two had been in a relationship since March and previously lived together.
Curran, given a $6,000 bond, was ordered not to have any contact with Trantalis.
Officials with the Broward State Attorney’s Office said they have placed a request with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office to have the matter handled by prosecutors in another county.
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