Former Houston area soccer player, Jorginho Orlando James, 30, of Pearland, has been arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury of a family member and violation of bond conditions. On August 30, James allegedly assaulted his ex-partner at a daycare in Friendswood, while she was dropping off their child, as per the Houston Chronicle.
The incident was captured on a video that has since been circulating on social media – appearing to show James to repeatedly hit the woman. The Friendswood Police Department responded to a call from the victim, with spokesperson Taylor McCombs confirming that the suspect followed her to the daycare. "The video showed James approach the woman and hit her multiple times until she fell to the ground while the child was present," McCombs stated, as noted in the Houston Chronicle. James was taken into custody by Friendswood police following the incident.
Known as Mary in media reports to protect her identity, the victim disclosed in an interview with FOX 26 Houston that this was not the first instance of assault. "He put a belt around my neck, and he strangled me," she revealed. After the August event, Mary has sustained injuries that have left her with a swollen face, a large black bruise, and a broken finger, rendering her unable to use her right hand.
James was already indicted in March on a felony charge of strangulation involving the same woman. According to court documents, conditions of his bond required him to remain at least 200 feet away from her and prohibited any contact. Despite these measures, James is said to have violated them, resulting in a second felony charge for the breach. "I was 100% sure that he wasn't going to be able to come out this time," Mary told FOX 26 Houston.
James, who briefly played for Houston Dynamo and has been associated with other soccer clubs, was released on bond, totaling $30,000 for both charges. His attorney has declined to comment on the recent allegations. At the same time, the Pearland Soccer Club, a former employer, has yet to respond to requests for comments about the situation involving their erstwhile player development coach.
