Daytona Beach police defend arrest of disabled veteran in later-dismissed domestic violence case

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Daytona Beach police said officers acted appropriately and in good faith when they arrested a disabled veteran on allegations of domestic violence. 

Prosecutors later dropped the case against Jonathan Lopez, 33, after determining he was out of state at the time of the alleged incident.

The backstory:

Police initiated an investigation on Oct. 18, 2025, after Lopez’s former girlfriend reported a domestic violence incident that she said occurred four days earlier. 

According to the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD), officers met with the woman at a local domestic violence shelter, where she provided sworn statements alleging Lopez committed "battery by strangulation." 

According to the police report, the victim described a violent incident where Lopez allegedly "grabbed her by the throat," "pushed her outside onto the balcony," "and held her head over the edge."

She also told officers that he interfered with her ability to contact police by damaging her cellphone, according to the department.

Based on the victim’s statements, physical evidence including photographs of "dark, visible bruises," and the circumstances surrounding the report, officers determined there was probable cause to seek an arrest warrant, police said. Under Florida law, officers are required to act when probable cause is established in domestic violence cases.

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An arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 22, and Lopez was arrested the following day before spending another nine days in jail.

Lopez and his attorney later provided prosecutors with travel records, photographs and sworn statements showing he was in Hawaii from Oct. 7 through Oct. 22, during the time in which the alleged crime was said to have been committed.

Following those findings, the DBPD closed the domestic violence investigation and completed a charging affidavit alleging the original complainant filed a false police report. That affidavit was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office for review.

The State Attorney’s Office then dropped the domestic battery and witness tampering charges in November, determining Lopez could not have committed the alleged offense.

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No charges have been filed related to the alleged false report, and the department said it will not release the name of the victim unless formal charges are brought.

What they're saying:

The DBPD said that prior to his arrest, officers had no way to independently verify Lopez’s whereabouts at the time of the alleged incident. 

"It is important to note that local law enforcement does not have the ability to track or access records of domestic airline travel, nor is such information readily available to officers during the initial stages of an investigation," the department said in a statement released to FOX 35 News.  "As a result, there was no immediate or independent means for officers to verify the accused’s physical location through flight data at the time the report was received."

Police emphasized that officers followed established procedures and acted based on the information available at the time.

"Officers established probable cause and acted in good faith in accordance with Florida law and arrest policies related to domestic violence incidents," the department added. 

The other side:

Lopez has said the time he spent in jail had a significant emotional impact and has called for accountability. 

"My depression just exploded because I could not believe I was in prison for something I didn’t do," Lopez told FOX 35.

His attorney, Phillip Arroyo, has said the accuser should face consequences for what he described as false allegations.

"There has to be a deterrent against people who lie to destroy others' lives to get even or out of spite," Arroyo said.