New York Daily News

Pol fought with ex of Mets hero

- BY KENNETH LOVETT

ALBANY – Julia Salazar, the insurgent Democrat running for state Senate, claimed the ex-wife of Mets legend Keith Hernandez falsely accused her of having an affair with the MVP in a bizarre libel lawsuit involving accusation­s of drug use, bank theft and pilfered Pottery Barn vouchers.

The 2011 Florida lawsuit, unearthed Thursday a week before the primary, stemmed from a criminal complaint against the 27year-old self-identified Democratic Socialist — a next-door neighbor of the baseball player — filed by the exwife — accusing Salazar of trying to access her bank account.

She also accused Salazar of stealing nearly $12,000 in cash and valuables from her while house-sitting in Jupiter, Fla., according to a police report filed at the time.

She was also accused of stealing $1,175 in Pottery Barn vouchers and $950 worth of wine.

“It was bad enough to have so much cash and other valuable items stolen from me, but this makes me feel violated, scared, and tremendous­ly at risk,” Kai Hernandez told police at the time, according to a police report. At 19, Salazar was arrested on a felony identity theft charge on March 23, 2011, according to records. Prosecutor­s ultimately dropped the case.

Ultimately, prosecutor­s did not bring a case against Salazar, a first-time candidate running against incumbent Sen. Martin Dilan.

Salazar fired back with a libel suit against Hernandez in 2013.

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 ??  ?? Dem Julia Salazar (above) and Kai Hernandez (below).
Dem Julia Salazar (above) and Kai Hernandez (below).
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