Jordan Hill charged with alleged assault of ex-girlfriend in Houston (updated)

Jordan Hill has been charged with an alleged assault of a former girlfriend by the Harris County District Attorney in Houston, a felony. The celebrity gossip website TMZ first reported the story Monday. The website obtained a copy of a police report that indicates Hill allegedly assaulted former girlfriend Darlene Luna, leaving bruises on her legs and then attempted to choke her. The report was filed one month after the alleged incident.

Hill has not been arrested. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

He said in a statement: “I’m saddened to learn of the accusations that were filed against me today. At this time I cannot comment further other than to say that my attorneys are working to gather all of the facts and evidence and I plan to cooperate completely with the authorities.

“I’d like to apologize to the Lakers organization and to all of their fans for the untimeliness of these accusations. I promise to keep my focus and attention on the playoffs during this time and to helping my team win another championship.”

Hill later told reporters he didn’t expect to miss any games or practices.

The Lakers acquired Hill from the Houston Rockets for Derek Fisher and a first-round draft pick March 15, part of a restructuring of their roster. Hill played only limited minutes until winning a place in the rotation in the final week of the regular season. He scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Lakers’ victory Sunday over the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series.

“We are aware of the media reports alleging an incident involving Jordan Hill from two months ago when he was a member of the Houston Rockets,” the Lakers said in a statement emailed to reporters. “We do not have any details regarding these reports and therefore, as well as due to the personal and leg aspects, it would not be appropriate for us to comment.”

The Lakers referred further questions to Hill’s agent, Kevin Bradbury.