A battalion sergeant major at the Marine Corps' San Diego boot camp was arrested last week after his spouse reported months of abuse, according to a restraining order filed Tuesday.
Sgt. Maj. Gerardo Trevino was arrested by Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents Sept. 11, the Marines said in a statement yesterday. NCIS confirmed Trevino remains confined in the brig.
But neither would say why Trevino was arrested, both citing the ongoing NCIS investigation.
Trevino was arrested days after his wife alleged he hit and punched her during an argument, according to a statement filed in a San Diego court.
In a domestic violence restraining order filed Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, Trevino's wife alleges that the sergeant major had been controlling and abusive for months, hitting, punching, and, in one incident last month, strangling her until she 'passed out.'
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence you can call the San Diego Domestic Violence Hotline at 888-385-4657.
Trevino's wife is also in the Marine Corps. KPBS is not naming her because she is the alleged victim of domestic violence.
Trevino allegedly took his wife's phone during the Sept. 1 incident after she called the police. She missed several calls from officers but never spoke to anyone or filed a report at the time, she says in the filing.
It's unclear from Trevino's wife's statement when Marine leaders were informed of the Sept. 1 incident before his arrest on Sept. 11. She says she provided text messages and photos of her injuries to NCIS. A military protective order — the military’s equivalent of a restraining order — was issued on Sept. 12.
According to the complaint, NCIS agents found only 1 of the 5 firearms registered to Trevino during a search.
A Marine spokesperson at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego didn't immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the allegations.
At the time of his arrest Trevino was the battalion sergeant major at the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion at the depot. There are three recruit training battalions at the depot, each comprised of several companies of Marine recruits.
Thousands of new Marines attend boot camp in San Diego every year.
