Paterson councilman Luis Velez arrested for alleged violation of restraining order
By Jayed Rahman
Published: April 17, 2019
Councilman Luis Velez was escorted out of City Hall by a police officer on Tuesday night for allegedly violating a restraining order.
Velez, who is involved in a messy domestic violence case with his wife, Evelyn Sanchez, was at City Hall for a workshop meeting.
Both publicly exchanged accusation of domestic violence last week.
A police officer walked him out of the building at about 8:20 p.m. He was not placed in handcuffs.
Velez, who represents the 5th Ward, was put inside a police car and presumably taken to the Frank X. Graves Public Safety building.
Velez is accused of violating a restraining order, according to a law enforcement source.
The arrest will not affect his role as a councilman. Violation of a restraining order is a fourth-degree offense, according to the source. State law says a person convicted of a third-degree offense or above has to forfeit public office.
Velez could not be reached for comments on Wednesday morning. His attorney, Michael DeMarco, also could not be reached for comments.
Email: [email protected]