UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, October 4, 1995
5B
Warren Moon faces assault charge
District attorney pursuing case,but Felicia Moon will not press charges
The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Texas — The wife of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Warren Moon told police she thought he was going to kill her in July, when he began slapping her about the ears and choking her in their suburban Houston residence.
"I was afraid for my life," Felicia Moon told police as she recounted the July 18 incident. "I saw black and could not breathe."
Her statement is in a probable-cause affidavit, obtained Monday by the Houston Chronicle through a request under the Texas open records law. The Fort Bend County district attorney's office released the document after the Texas Attorney General's Office ruled the information is public record.
Moon, whom the Houston Oilers traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the 1993 season, could not be reached for comment, nor could his attorney Rusty Hardin.
The NFL star faces a Class A misdemeanor assault charge in connection with the incident at the couple's spacious home in Missouri City, southwest of Houston. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 24 before County Court-at-Law No.1 Judge Larry Wagenbach.
The Moons and their four children have sought counseling since the highly publicized incident and the 38-year-old quarterback's arrest. In news conferences after the incident, Felicia Moon said that she did not want to pursue charges against her husband. Both pledged to continue counseling and work to save their marriage and their family.
But District Attorney John Healey said the facts of the case prompted his office to proceed anyway. His
office has since subpoenaed her and her 7-year-old son, Jeffrey, who made the 911 call, to appear at Moon's first court date.
Healey said that he thought he had the option of using a new state law that took effect Sept. 1 to force Felicia Moon to testify against her husband. The law eliminated "spousal privilege," which prevented testimony against one's spouse.
The Moons' housekeeper, Elena Marie Morales, told police she heard Felicia Moon yelling for help about noon on July 18 and saw her husband pushing her. She later fled in her car. Sources say Moon chased his wife at speeds reaching 100 mph.
Felicia Moon returned home while detectives were talking to the housekeeper, the report said.
Felicia Moon's sworn statement to police detailed the encounter.
She was crying and visibly upset, detectives said. She had blood to the right side of her face and neck, scratch marks on her face and abrasions on her neck. Fellow Mae's mother, the report said.
"Today I was in my gazebo reading my Bible," she said. "Warren came in. I got up and left the gazebo and started to walk toward the house, and I started saying, 'Jesus, just help me ... Jesus, just help me.' I was praying because I thought that Warren was going to hit me."
The document does not indicate why she thought he would hit her.
"Warren started to siap me on the head by my ears with his open hand," Felicia Moon told police. "He choked me so that I couldn't talk or breathe. When he choked me, I thought that he was losing control and that he wouldn't know when to stop choking me."
At that point, according to the affidavit, the detective placed her hands on her own neck and asked,
"When you say choked, do you mean like this?"
She replied, "Yes." The affidavit said.
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