Miami beauty queen allegedly attacked party guest with baseball bat
MIAMI – A South Florida beauty queen is accused of attacking a man at her Hialeah home with a baseball bat, reports CBS Miami.
According to her arrest report, Vanessa Barcelo, 26, was hosting the party at her home when she became severely intoxicated.
When she asked one of the guests to leave, she reportedly grabbed a bat and began pushing him toward the door.
“It is unclear why [Barcelo] armed herself as both parties acknowledge that the victim was complying with [Barcelo’s] request to leave the home,” states the arrest report.
As the man walked down the driveway toward the sidewalk, Barcelo reportedly hit him with the bat on the shoulder. The man grabbed the bat and held Barcelo at bay until a security guard arrived. But when the man gave the bat to the guard, Barcelo allegedly punched him in the face.
The man then ran away and called 911.
The Miami Herald reports that Barcelo now faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery and battery for the Dec. 22 incident.
Barcelo won the title “Miss Miami Lakes, USA” back in April. She competed in July for Miss Florida USA and but did not make the top 16. She gets to keep the title for now pending adjudication.
“Obviously we are concerned about her. We are awaiting due process and hope she’s exonerated,” said Grant Gravitt, Executive Producer of the Miss Florida USA Pageant in a statement.
