Rutgers police charge mother of Leonte Carroo, two others for alleged roles in physical altercation
The Rutgers University Police Department charged three people on Tuesday for their alleged roles in an altercation involving Rutgers football wide receiver Leonte Carroo, according to a statement by University spokesperson Greg Trevor.
Lavern Carroo, 41, of Edison, New Jersey, was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct. She is Leonte Carroo’s mother.
She previously plead guilty to third-degree theft by deception in 2001 and received a sentence of one year of probation, according to nj.com.
Maria Vega, 20, and Juan Vega, 52, both of Fort Lee, New Jersey, face the same charges. The three were involved in a postgame altercation that occurred approximately 45 minutes after the Rutgers football team’s 37-34 loss to Washington State on Sept. 12, 2015.
The actions of all three were described by police as "general fighting behavior," specifically hair pulling and striking a victim in the face with a hand.
In the alleged incident that unfolded outside of the Hale Center at High Point Solutions Stadium on Busch campus, Leonte Carroo was arrested for simple assault under domestic violence. He was released on $1,000 bail and is scheduled for an Oct. 1 court appearance.
A woman accused the Scarlet Knights’ senior captain of slamming her to the concrete, according to a complaint filed to Piscataway municipal court and obtained by The Record of Bergen County.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, including one source who witnessed the altercation, confirmed to The Daily Targum that, at the time of the incident, the woman was a recruiting ambassador for the football team and worked at the program’s headquarters at the Hale Center.
The source who witnessed the altercation also told the Targum that there was first an only-girl fight between Leonte Carroo’s girlfriend, Maria Vega, and the alleged victim. The source then said that there was a second altercation where “the girlfriends (sic) dad started to throw girls.”
The person requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing and is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The alleged victim, whose identity is being protected because she is the victim of a reported domestic violence case, was reportedly romantically involved with Leonte Carroo.
In an interview with The Record of Bergen County, the woman spoke about the incident. She injured her hip, palms and the left side of her head, according to the filed court complaint.
"(Carroo) picked me up and just dropped me," the woman told The Record. "I remember that slam. I remember hitting the ground and seeing all those people around me ... He knows his own strength. He shouldn't have done it. I'm 107 pounds. He shouldn't have thrown me into the concrete."
The father of the alleged victim told NJ Advance Media that his daughter filed a restraining order against Leonte Carroo. He also told the publication that she has since quit her job at Rutgers Athletics.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information may call the RUPD Investigations Unit at 848-932-8025.
