Ex-football player charged in assaults

Player, declared off the Cal team in April, accused of violent rage

A former UC Berkeley football player has been charged with felony assault with force likely to cause a great bodily injury after attacking several people last week, authorities said.

According to Alameda County court documents, Aaron Maldonado attacked two men and a woman and also shattered the driver'sside window on a Toyota Prius during the incident Friday in Berkeley. He's also been charged with one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of vandalism, authorities said.

Maldonado's attack happened about 1:18 p.m. in the area of College and Ashby avenues, according to police. Officers found him at a corner yelling incoherently after being called on reports that a man was chasing people and attacking them.

Medics took Maldonado to a hospital for a medical evaluation after the arrest. Authorities said that after his release, Maldonado kicked the door and window of a police car and shoulder-checked an officer while yelling and screaming on the way to Santa Rita Jail.

Police in a probable cause statement said Maldonado shattered the Prius' window with his hands and caused about $550 damage. Authorities said he then walked up to a woman who was with her children in the 2900 block of College Avenue,

yelled something unintelligible at her and hit her in the face, causing her to fall down.

She complained of a headache and pain in both of her knees, authorities said.

The third attack happened inside the Gordo Taqueria in the 2900 block of College Avenue, where Maldonado punched a man who was about to order food several times in the face, authorities said. That man had a cut to his lip, a bruise above his left eye and a scratch to his nose, authorities said.

Next, authorities said Maldonado entered Manpuku, another restaurant in the same block, and confronted another man ordering food, while asking if he was “Kevin.” Authorities said the victim turned around, told Maldonado he was not Kevin, and then fought back when Maldonado put him in a choke hold.

The victim in that attack broke free and ran from the restaurant, but authorities said Maldonado chased and tackled him, causing the man to hit his head on the concrete. Maldonado next began to choke the man, but a witness was able to push him away, authorities said.

The man had a cut to the back of his head and complained of back pain, authorities said.

Maldonado, a defensive lineman, was a three-star recruit in 2018 out of Bishop Amat High in La Puente. Injuries kept him from playing in 2020 and 2021. Cal football head coach Justin Wilcox announced in April that Maldonado was no longer on the team.

He remained in custody Tuesday at the jail without a bail amount listed.