Report: Bench Warrant Issued for Arroyo Jr.

A bench warrant has been issued for jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. by San Diego County Superior Court after he did not appear last month for an arraignment pertaining to three felony counts and one misdemeanor related to domestic violence arrests from last year, Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman and Steve Andersen reported Feb. 12.

The Daily Racing Form reported that a protective order had been filed, requiring Arroyo to not come in contact with a woman and a child who were cited in court documents, and his bail, originally set at $50,000, was increased to $100,000. 

Arroyo is ineligible to ride in California. Stewards at Los Alamitos Race Course suspended his license Feb. 9 after he failed to appear before them related to charges of disorderly conduct and disobedience toward security officers. He is "denied access to all premises in this jurisdiction," the California Horse Racing Board stated.

Arroyo has not ridden since the fall, riding just once in October when fourth aboard Super Bunny in the third race Oct. 24 at Santa Anita Park. That mount followed a break from riding dating to late September when he was more active, first at Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and then Santa Anita.

The Puerto Rico native has ridden 1,354 winners from 9,544 mounts and earned more than $49.7 million in a career marked by trouble with the law, including a conviction for cocaine possession in 2010.

A BloodHorse story at the time of his sentencing in the summer of 2010 noted the rider was arrested in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., following an August 2009 traffic stop during which officers found 11.9 grams of cocaine in his sock. Arroyo had been riding at Saratoga Race Course.

He pleaded guilty to charges of illegal possession in March 2010 and was originally scheduled to receive his sentence in May of that year, but his court appearance was delayed for two months after he was arrested in Kentucky on a Florida warrant for an alleged domestic violence dispute. He was incarcerated in Florida pending hearings regarding the domestic violence issue, the charges for which were ultimately dropped.

BloodHorse, July 2, 2010: Arroyo Gets Prison Sentence From Judge