Raymond Cruz, Tuco Salamanca Actor, 60, Arrested for Misdemeanor Battery

Actor Raymond Cruz, best known for his portrayal of Detective Julio Sanchez in Major Crimes and The Closer, as well as villain Tuco Salamanca in the Breaking Bad franchise, was arrested on Monday. The actor was attempting to wash his car outside his Silver Lake home. Allegedly, Cruz sprayed a child with water when she wouldn’t move out of the way.

What Actually Happened?

Longtime Hollywood actor Raymond Cruz, who has no arrest record, decided to clean and wash his car on a sunny Los Angeles morning. While he was in the process of spraying it down with the hose, a minivan with three female passengers parked fairly close to his vehicle.

According to his agent, Raphael Berko, Cruz asked the driver of the minivan to move the vehicle, saying that he needed room to wash his car. When they didn’t move their minivan, Cruz allegedly said:

…come on, move your car. You’re not giving me room, and it’s going to get wet.

According to Berko, the women didn’t move the vehicle and were filming Raymond Cruz. When Cruz asked the women to stop filming him, they continued to do so. Berko also stated that when Cruz asked the women to stop, some water coming from his hose allegedly splashed them.

Raymond Cruz’s Agent Expresses Disbelief and Outrage

Raphael Berko further said:

And somehow someone who’s never been arrested in his life….someone who lives in that neighborhood, was put in handcuffs and taken to jail,

The agent did thank the LAPD for being “gracious and supportive” during the five-hour-long ordeal, where Cruz was arrested and then released on his own recognizance.

Raymond Cruz, who is known for his portrayal of often silent, but deadly characters and henchmen, leads a quiet, peaceful, and hard-working life in the suburbs of LA. The actor, with about 100 credits to his name, was simply doing what many of us do on a bright Southern California day. Apparently, nowadays, you have to watch exactly who might be at risk of accidentally getting sprayed with water from a garden hose.

Netizens Express Support for Cruz   

Unsurprisingly, anyone who is a fan of Raymond Cruz, (or even if they’re familiar with the actor), has been sympathetic. People have gone on social media, calling his arrest ridiculous, and saying what a huge waste of Los Angeles taxpayers’ money this is.

In a world where we have serious crimes such as murder, trafficking, aggravated assault, and grand larceny (just to name a few), hearing news about something like this is particularly disheartening. Yes, spraying water on somebody (if that actually happened) can be annoying, but it certainly doesn’t rise to the level of an arrest. That applies doubly if someone has no prior arrest record.

Raymond Cruz will need to return to court on October 1, unless the matter is settled before then. Since this is considered a misdemeanor, the Los Angeles district attorney has the option to hold an “office hearing.” This means that there would be a meeting prior to a court date, and potentially, a resolution could be achieved. That might be the defendant, Cruz, taking some anger management courses, among agreeing to other things, like performing community service.

Either way, spraying somebody with water from a garden hose shouldn’t end in an arrest. Hilarious and snarky commentary aside, Raymond Cruz should never have found himself in this situation. An incident like this further illustrates a desperate need for applying common sense, in both tempering reactions and involving the use of law enforcement personnel. We definitely wish Raymond the best possible outcome for this very unfortunate occurrence of a “minor crime.”