Former UFC and Bellator welterweight War Machine, formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, was finally apprehended Friday after being charged with beating his ex-girlfriend, Christy Mack, a well-known porn star.
With the aid of local police, War Machine was captured in Simi Valley, California, by U.S. Marshals yesterday afternoon at an Extended Stay America Hotel, per Marc Raimondi of FoxSports.com.
According to KTLA 5 News, War Machine was shot with a Taser by authorities before he was handcuffed and transported to Ventura County Jail.
The controversial Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, who has been charged with seven criminal offenses—six of which are felonies, per TMZ—could have been captured much sooner if Las Vegas police acted faster based on the account of one of Mack’s neighbors.
As NBC News reported on Thursday, Dashanka Giraldo says police did not take calls of Mack allegedly being brutally beaten by the well-known MMA fighter seriously (note: The video contains graphic NSFW images).
My mother immediately called the cops and they hung up on her. When Christy tried calling the cops as well, they hung up on her, too. … It took the cops like 15 to 20 minutes to get to our neighborhood, which is just way too long. I mean, that’s crazy. We have an emergency here.
Giraldo says her family took a bloody, naked Mack into their home immediately after her alleged violent encounter with War Machine.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not give NBC a response to Giraldo’s recollection of the events.
Despite Mack posting her graphic version of the story, accompanied with photos from the hospital (NSFW), War Machine has insisted his innocence in the matter on Twitter.
War Machine has previously served jail time for violent crimes after taking part in a bar fight that got out of hand back in 2010, per TMZ Sports.
Friends, family and fans have shown overwhelming support for Mack in her time of need, as over $70,000 has been raised to cover her medical expenses on her Give Forward page.
The page has only been active for a few days.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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