Actress faces two charges of domestic violence

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT COAST -- Actress Tawny Kitaen-Finley faces arraignment on two

domestic violence charges for allegedly battering her husband, former

Angel pitcher Chuck Finley, officials said Thursday.

The star couple, who live in Newport Coast with their two children and

are seen together often at local social events, shocked the community

Wednesday when news of Kitaen-Finley’s arrest became public.

Newport Beach police responded to a 911 hang-up call Monday night at

the couple’s home. The couple had gotten into an argument when they were

returning home from dinner, said Tori Richards, spokeswoman for the

Orange County district attorney.

“She kicked him with her high-heeled shoes and at one point had the

heel pressing on his foot over the accelerator,” she said.

Kitaen-Finley reportedly hit the 6-foot-6-inch baseball player on the

thigh, arms and legs. She also grabbed and twisted his ear, Richards

said.

The 911 call was made by a “third party” after they arrived home,

Richards said. Police arrested Kitaen-Finley after they saw Finley had

suffered injuries and that she was unhurt, Richards said.

A judge ordered Kitaen-Finley’s release Wednesday on her own

recognizance and ordered that she stay away from her husband and that she

not have any contact with him. The children will probably be placed under

the care of the county Social Services Agency, Richards said.

Kitaen-Finley’s arraignment on the domestic violence charges is

scheduled for April 29. She is also scheduled to be arraigned on a

vandalism charge on April 18. Richards said the actress allegedly got

into a fight with a woman in Newport Beach over a parking spot.

“According to the reports, when the woman eventually parked her car in

the spot and left, [Kitaen-Finley] keyed both sides of her vehicle,” she

said. “There were a couple of people who witnessed that incident.”

Finley and Kitaen-Finley were regulars at the annual HomeAid

fund-raiser in Newport Beach that raises money for construction and

renovation of homeless shelters, said Gina Economakos, fund-raising

manager.

“They’ve been our celebrity honorary chairs for the event since 1998,”

she said. “They’ve given their name and support to our organization.”