A University of Houston football player was arrested Thursday and charged with assault on a pregnant person, according to Harris County court records.
Carmello Dedric Brooks, 19, faces a felony charge stemming from an alleged incident on September 17.
According to court documents, Brooks is accused of causing bodily injury to a pregnant woman by allegedly picking her up and slamming her to the ground. Investigators allege Brooks knew the woman was pregnant at the time of the incident.
During Brooks’ court appearance Friday, it was confirmed that he is a student at the University of Houston. ABC13 reported that Brooks is also a member of the school’s football program, although he is not currently part of the team’s travel squad because of his position on the depth chart.
Court proceedings also revealed that the alleged victim had only recently learned that she was pregnant.
A judge ordered Brooks to have no contact with the alleged victim. His bond in the assault case was set at $15,000.
Brooks also faces a separate misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief stemming from an August incident.
According to court records, police responded to a family disturbance call on August 9 after Brooks allegedly became involved in a verbal altercation with a woman. The incident allegedly escalated and resulted in damage to the door handle of the woman’s apartment. Court documents estimate the damage at between $100 and $750.
The woman involved in the August incident is reportedly a different person from the alleged victim in the September assault case.
Court records state that the woman in the August case told police she had previously been in a relationship with Brooks and that the relationship resulted in her becoming pregnant.
Brooks was not arrested in connection with the August case until this week. His bond in that case was set at $100.
The allegations against Brooks remain pending, and court proceedings will determine the outcome of the cases.
The University of Houston football program has not publicly announced any additional disciplinary action involving Brooks.
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