Cal Football: Ex-Defensive Lineman Aaron Maldonado Arrested on Felony Assault Charge

Police allege the 22-year-old committed a series of assaults in Berkeley last Friday.

Former Cal defensive lineman Aaron Maldonado has been charged with felony assault with force likely to cause a great bodily injury after attacking several people last Friday, the East Bay Times reported.

Maldonado, 22, played parts of four seasons with the Bears through 2021. Cal announced in April that Maldonado no longer was part of the program, having left at least partly because of a series of injuries.

Maldonado, who is from La Puente in southern California, also was charged with one misdemeanor county of battery and one misdemeanor court of vandalism, according to the newspaper.

He remained in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, according to the newspaper, without a bail amount listed.

Here’s how the East Bay Times reported the series of attacks by the 6-foot-3, 280-pound former nose guard:

According to Alameda County court documents, Aaron Maldonado attacked two men and a woman and also shattered the driver’s side window on a Toyota Prius during the incident on June 10 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 approximately $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 cement. 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 had an uneven career at Cal, often unavailable because of injury.

He played in nine games as a freshman in 2018 and won the team’s Clint Evans Award as the most intense freshman. He missed the first four games in 2019 due to undisclosed reasons, then played eight games, also all off the bench.

During Cal’s 2020 season, delayed and shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maldonado was projected to be a starter but never played due to injury.

He played just two games in 2021, also due to health issues. He still had one year of athletic eligibility remaining but left the program before the start of spring ball in April.

Maldonado came to Cal as a consensus three-star prospect from Bishop Amat High School. 

Cover photo of Aaron Maldonado by James Snook, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo