WILMINGTON, Del. - Delaware state Rep. Josue Ortega turned himself in to Delaware State Police on Aug. 6 after the Delaware Department of Justice authorized a warrant for offensive touching following an investigation into a May complaint.
Delaware State Police said troopers responded around 8:30 p.m. May 21 to a 911 call on South Maryland Avenue in Wilmington.
According to police, a 29-year-old woman told troopers that she and Ortega, 46, were arguing while in a car and that Ortega struck her during the argument, causing injury.
Police said investigators provided the available facts of the case to the Delaware Department of Justice after completing their investigation. The department reviewed the case and authorized a warrant for offensive touching.
Ortega turned himself in at Delaware State Police Troop 6 on Aug. 6. Police said he was released on a $100 unsecured bond with a no-contact order involving the woman.
CoastTV News reached out to House Democratic leadership for comment on the latest developments. A spokesperson provided the following statement from House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown:
"I stand by the statement our leadership team released about this issue in June and will continue to respect the legal process. Right now, we need to allow the justice system to do its work and I will have no further comment while the criminal investigation and proceedings are ongoing."
In June, leaders of the House Democratic Caucus said an ethics complaint regarding the allegations against Ortega would be filed, triggering a "full and thorough review" by the House Ethics Committee.
"As legislators, we owe it to the people we serve to act with integrity and uphold the highest standards and we want to make that point very clear to Rep. Ortega, to our colleagues, and to all Delawareans. Domestic violence, or any form of abuse, has no place in our state and will not be tolerated in the House of Representatives," the caucus said at the time.
Ortega denied the allegations in a statement in June and said he would cooperate with the House leadership investigation. He also said that "a thoughtful and deliberate review of this record will reveal that I was the one who sought, and was awarded relief, by the Courts regarding the abuse I have suffered from my accuser."
"I maintain my innocence and firmly refute the claims made against me," Ortega said at the time.
CoastTV News reached out to Ortega for further comment but has not heard back.
Ortega represents Delaware's 3rd District, which includes part of Wilmington. He was elected in 2024 and is seeking reelection.
