Fired OKC Officer Acquitted Of Domestic Abuse Charges Back In Jail

(Editor's Note on Aug. 19, 2022: Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater told News 9 that charges against Luis Maldonado regarding the story below were dismissed on Aug. 18, 2022. Below is the original story regarding the Nov. 2021 arrest.)

A fired Oklahoma City police officer was arrested on Tuesday for crimes he went to trial for and was acquitted on less than two weeks ago.

Police arrested Luis Maldonado, 44, at the City Rescue Mission in downtown Oklahoma City. Maldonado's girlfriend claimed he raped and strangled her in her home.

A former girlfriend who testified at Maldonado’s trial said she was not surprised by the arrest and said the jury should have never let him walk free. 

The victim in the most recent case told police Maldonado was her boyfriend and lived with her after his trial. Police said she also gave him a cellphone and $8,000. 

“He is very good at manipulating,” said Stephanie Reid, former girlfriend.

Reid dated Maldonado and had a child with him. She testified at his trial and was shocked when the jury came back less than two hours with a not guilty verdict.

Maldonado was charged with seven crimes including domestic abuse and sexual assault. He took the stand and admitted he physically assaulted Reid.

“Everybody’s eyes are going to be open now," Reid said. "Hopefully somebody does something about it, because he will do it again and it’s going to get worse.”

According to an arrest warrant, Maldonado is accused of raping his girlfriend last week and attempting to strangle her for not giving him her car keys.

The woman claimed Maldonado threatened and said, "I already got off with it once, don't think I can't again."

She told police he said he would get a gun and shoot her if she spoke to police and to not tell her daughter.

“We are not safe unless he is in jail,” said Reid. “Nobody or the next one if he gets ahold of someone else. Women are not safe around this man.”

Police said the Oklahoma County district attorney’s office accepted the charges of rape, domestic strangulation, domestic assault and battery and threatening an act of violence.

Maldonado has not been formally charges with the crimes but remains in custody at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.