Ex-girlfriend of ‘Jersey Shore’ star jailed again in Las Vegas
Updated May 17, 2019 - 12:03 pm
The on-again-off-again girlfriend of “Jersey Shore” star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has been arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge for at least the third time in Las Vegas, underscoring the dangerous cycle of domestic violence.
“Obviously people love celebrity mug shots and arrests, but the important part of the story is about domestic violence in general because of how volatile these types of calls can become,” Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said Friday. “It’s part of the domestic violence story when you have people who have a volatile relationship and can’t get along.”
Jennifer Annette Harley, 32, was arrested Thursday on a warrant in connection with an incident on New Year’s Eve at the Hustler Night Club, 6007 Dean Martin Drive, according to her arrest report. She posted bond and had been released from the Clark County Detention Center by early Friday. She was being held on $3,000 bail.
Harley was taken into custody Thursday at Mountain’s Edge Park, 8101 W. Mountains Edge Parkway, after she called 911 to report that a man in a blue van had pointed a gun at her, Meltzer said. When officers arrived, they ran a records check on Harley, revealing that she had an outstanding warrant issued April 17.
Ortiz-Magro and Harley, who began dating about two years ago, have a young daughter together.
About 20 minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve, Harley and Ortiz-Magro got into an argument at the night club. Harley was apparently upset “over how her name appeared” in his phone, according to her arrest report.
At some point during the argument, Harley, holding a bottle of alcohol the two had been sharing, began to walk away from their table. Ortiz-Magro grabbed the bottle from Harley “and she became enraged.”
Harley then pushed Ortiz-Magro with both hands and hurled an ash tray toward him, hitting him in the face, the report stated.
On Jan. 3, Ortiz-Magro showed up with bruises to his face and nose at a local Metropolitan Police Department station to report the alleged battery. Police said photos were taken as evidence.
He said he did not call 911 at the time “as he did not know what would happen to his 9-month-old daughter,” the report stated.
Harley was arrested on the same charge in June 2018 after Las Vegas police were called to investigate reports of a man trying to pull a woman from a damaged vehicle southwest of the Strip.
When they arrived, they found Ortiz-Magro bleeding. Officers determined Harley “was the aggressor,” Meltzer said at the time.
The Clark County district attorney’s office declined to prosecute the case.
Court records show Harley also faced another misdemeanor domestic battery charge in 2016, but the case was eventually dismissed.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.
How to get help
Victims of domestic violence can seek help and resources by texting or calling SafeNest's hotline at 702-646-4981 or Shade Tree's hotline at 702-385-0072.