Kevin Porter Jr.’s alleged attack on his girlfriend at a New York City hotel left the woman with a fractured neck vertebra and a cut above her right eye, prosecutors revealed at his arraignment Tuesday, according to an Associated Press (AP) report.
As reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Porter is being charged in New York with felony assault and strangulation.
Buy Rockets Tickets“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck,” Feigen quoted an NYPD spokesperson as saying. “A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around her neck.”
According to the AP, the incident took place early Monday at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan. Porter was not required to enter a plea during Tuesday’s brief court appearance.
The AP has further details:
Porter, who had been in police custody since his arrest around 6:45 a.m. Monday, was ordered to post $75,000 cash or obtain a $100,000 bond to secure his release. He was also ordered to stay away from his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick.
Porter is due back in court in Manhattan on Oct. 16. The Rockets are scheduled to play a preseason game that day in San Antonio.
According to the criminal complaint, Gondrezick told police that Porter also punched her repeatedly in the face with a closed fist.
According to a criminal complaint, Gondrezick told police that he punched her repeatedly in the face with a closed fist, cutting her above the right eye and causing bruising and substantial pain to her face.
Gondrezick said the NBA star also forcefully squeezed her neck with his hands, causing her difficulty breathing, redness and bruising to her neck.
Hospital testing showed that Gondrezick, 26, sustained a fractured vertebra in her neck, the criminal complaint said.
Both the Rockets and the NBA say they are in the process of gathering more information, which will likely dictate the next steps in terms of potential discipline and Porter’s future in the league.
