What you need to know
Darius McCrary remains behind bars after being arrested as a fugitive earlier this month.
The Family Matters alumnus, 49, appeared in court on Wednesday, Oct. 15, when a judge denied him bail after he was arrested on an Oct. 5 out-of-state felony warrant. The judge agreed with prosecutors that the actor was a flight risk, given that he was detained by Border Patrol while entering the United States from Mexico.
McCrary initially chose to quit his law practice and represent himself, but the judge ultimately appointed him a public defender. A warrant was issued for his failure to appear in court on charges of unpaid child support, and he will remain in custody at a San Diego jail until extradited to Michigan, which must occur within 30 days.
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San Diego’s ABC10 News reported that prosecutors said in court that McCrary’s attorney allegedly said McCrary was looking for real estate in Tijuana. But McCrary’s public defender insisted he was there to work with a charity that builds homes.
McCrary’s attorney, Ann Barlow, told PEOPLE that McCrary has no ties to Tijuana and is not a flight risk. She said he “misplaced his meeting with a partner from the Esperanza program” and mistakenly entered Mexico, where he volunteered to build homes for the homeless.
Barlow also said McCrary intends to continue his lawsuit in Michigan.
Another court date for McCrary is set for Nov. 14, according to online records.
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McCrary’s previous legal troubles include a messy divorce battle with ex-wife Tammy Browner over a 2017 filing.
The couple finalized their divorce in February 2019, and McCrary was ordered to pay $1,366 a month in child support ($916 base amount plus $415 in child support), according to documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time.
The agreement gives Browner, a former Harlem Globetrotter, full legal and physical custody of the ex-couple’s then-3-year-old daughter Zoe.
McCrary was also ordered to attend alcohol/drug abuse and violent offender intervention classes within 12 months, was allowed professionally supervised visits with Zoe every Sunday from 11am to 5pm, and visitation restrictions continued to be relaxed until he completed 10 meetings.
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In 2018, PEOPLE reported that Browner claimed McCrary “partially dislocated” Zoe’s arm, according to court documents obtained by The Blast at the time.
Browner told doctors the incident occurred when McCrary took her daughter to the bathroom and “grabbed her arm,” the complaint said. McCrary reportedly denied the story, claiming he “grabbed her by one hand and lifted her up, then quickly grabbed her other hand.”
Zoe was diagnosed with Nursemaid’s Elbow, a common elbow injury seen in infants and young children, which occurs when a child’s elbow is pulled and one of the bones partially dislocates.
McCrary is best known for his role as Eddie Winslow on the hit ’90s sitcom Family Matters, which ran from 1989 to 1998, in which he co-starred with his parents, Reginald VelJohnson and Jo Marie Payton.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. Our hotline is available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
