A Campbell elected official was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of domestic violence, according to city officials. City Councilman Jeffrey Cristina, 37, was booked and released Tuesday after posting $20,000 bail.
A police officer said he saw a woman at the back gate of the city’s police station close to 3am that same day. She reportedly told the officer that she fled home after a domestic violence incident with her fiancé, identified as Cristina.
The councilman prevented his fiancée from using her cellphone to dial 9-1-1 and tried to block her from leaving their downtown home, Campbell police Capt. Joe Cefalu told the Campbell Reporter on Wednesday.
The woman stayed at the police station while three officers went to Cristina’s house to investigate her claims. Cristina was arrested a short time later.
Cristina’s fiancée decided not to file a restraining order, but the case has been passed on to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Cristina, a recycling executive by trade, served on the Campbell Planning Commission for a year before being elected to the council in 2010, per his online bio. He won re-election in 2014 and served as mayor in 2015.
According to Transparent California, Cristina’s council work earned him $9,716 in stipends last year and $13,482 in benefits. The councilman has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Below is the full press release sent out by the city of Campbell:
On August 23, 2016, at 2:46 am, a Campbell Police Officer encountered a female standing at the back gate to the police department. The female claimed she had just been involved in a domestic violence incident with her fiancé, Jeffrey Cristina, 37 years old of Campbell. Jeffrey Cristina currently serves on the Campbell City Council.
After speaking with the female, Campbell Police officers responded to Jeffrey Cristina’s residence to conduct further investigation into the allegations. At the completion of their investigation, Jeffrey Cristina was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on misdemeanor domestic violence related charges. After posting $20,000 bail, he was released from custody earlier this afternoon.
The case is being forwarded to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Without prejudging the guilt or innocence of anyone, I strongly urge the parties not to marry each other. For a squabble to escalate to this degree at this stage of their relationship bodes extremely poorly. There are other fish in the sea and never being married at all is far better for everyone (including those as yet unborn) than enduring a bad marriage.
Trash King?
Yeah, Mr “Environmental”. He should be fired from his council position immediately lest the city of Campbell be tarred with the same brush as Jeffrey Cristina is going to get.