Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill has been charged with choking a family member while he was still a member of the Houston Rockets, the Houston district attorney’s office announced Monday.
Hill, 24, has been charged with a third-degree felony for allegedly choking Darlene Luna, a woman he was romantically involved with, according to the Houston District Attorney's Office. The alleged incident occurred Feb. 29.
He faces two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to Donna Hawkins, Houston assistant district attorney. No bond has been set at this time.
“This was a case where the victim was someone that the defendant dated,” Hawkins said.
In a statement released by the team on Monday, Hill said he was sorry for the distraction.
"I plan to cooperate completely with the authorities," Hill said. "I’d like to apologize to the Lakers organization and to all of their fans for the untimeliness of these accusations. I promise to keep my focus and attention on the playoffs during this time."
According to court documents obtained by KTRK in Houston, Luna told police that Hill choked her, causing bruises to her body and restricted her breathing. Luna claimed she flew from Florida to Houston to discuss the future of their relationship when they got into an argument, KTRK reported.
Police told KTRK they have obtained photos of the injuries from Luna that corroborate her claims.
As the charges were being reported, someone tweeted twice from Hill’s Twitter account: “Wowwwww,” and “Unbelievable!!!!!!!!”
Hill, who has career averages of 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, became a Laker in the trade that sent point guard Derek Fisher to Houston on March 15.
Hill scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a Game 1 playoff victory against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Quarterfinals Sunday at Staples Center. Game 2 of the playoff series is scheduled for Tuesday at Staples Center.
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