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Maximo Vasquez Jr., 43 years old and a veteran captain of the Miami City Fire and Rescue Department, was arrested last Saturday by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office on multiple domestic violence charges against his wife, according to county jail records.
The charges filed include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, robbery with physical force, and illegal deprivation of liberty.
This is Vasquez's second arrest in less than a year, raising alarms about the oversight mechanisms within the emergency department.
What happened on Saturday morning
According to the arrest report, the incident began when Vasquez's wife was about to go to the gym, and he called her to demand that she return home.
Upon arrival, Vasquez exited the residence with a hammer in an aggressive stance and threatened to break the windows of his car if he did not enter.
The report states that Vasquez "appeared to be under the influence of alcohol" and that "he became extremely agitated by the victim's gym attire."
To prevent his wife from leaving, he placed screws under the tires of the Tesla she was driving and disabled the vehicle's ignition system.
When the woman got out of the car to remove the screws, Vasquez grabbed her wrists and forcefully snatched both phones from her.
Once inside the home, according to the report cited by WSVN, Vasquez "mounted the victim and began to slap her in the face several times," headbutted her, struck her in the head with her own phone, and tore off her clothing.
When the woman tried to leave the house, Vasquez followed her, grabbed her by the hair, and pushed her back inside.
The victim, frightened, denied the allegations to the officers
An anonymous call to 911 alerted sheriff's deputies about the disturbance at the residence.
Upon arrival, the victim, frightened, initially denied that anything had happened and stated that she did not need help.
However, he later went to a hospital complaining of a severe headache as a result of the assault, where the officers documented his statements and obtained an arrest warrant for Vasquez.
On Monday, Vasquez appeared before a judge who set an alternative bail of 17,500 dollars and ordered him not to have any contact with the victim, in addition to prohibiting him from possessing firearms or other weapons.
A history of incidents that raises questions
This is not Vasquez's first run-in with the law.
In June 2025, the captain was arrested after calling 911 to report his wife's disappearance and ended up verbally and physically assaulting the responding officers.
In that incident, Vasquez was "clearly furious and shouting" and even threw a case card at one of the officers.
In the bodycam video released in August 2025, he is heard saying: "My wife is missing, is this all I get? Screw you, man."
The video of the arrest of the fire captain received extensive media coverage at the time.
That case was dismissed in March of this year after Vasquez completed a support program, a condition that allowed him to retain his job as a captain with 16 years of service.
Just two months after the dismissal of those charges, Vasquez has been arrested again, this time on more serious domestic violence allegations.
The response from the department
The Miami Fire and Rescue Department issued a statement on Monday acknowledging the arrest.
"The Miami City Fire and Rescue Department is aware of an incident involving a firefighter with 16 years of service who was arrested on Saturday by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. At this time, we have not had contact with the individual. Once contact is established, the department will initiate a thorough internal investigation in accordance with our policies and procedures," the statement reads, as reported by local media.
The institution has not disclosed whether Vasquez has been suspended or removed from service on a precautionary basis while the judicial process unfolds.
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