Who is Carmello Dedric Brooks? University of Houston football star arrested for ‘assaulting’ pregnant woman

A University of Houston football player has been taken into custody following allegations of assaulting a pregnant woman.

Carmello Dedric Brooks, a sophomore football player at the University of Houston, has been charged with assaulting a pregnant woman. (University of Houston)Carmello Dedric Brooks, 19, was apprehended last Thursday by campus law enforcement authorities, as documented in court filings reviewed by the Daily Mail.

According to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, Brooks is accused of “intentionally, knowingly and recklessly” inflicting “bodily injury” upon the woman “by picking her up and slamming her to the ground.”

The prosecution contends that “at the time of the assault the defendant [Brooks] knew the complainant was pregnant.”

Brooks has been charged with felony assault targeting a pregnant woman, as documented in judicial records.

Following his release, he has posted a $15,000 bond and is no longer in police custody.

Additional information regarding the alleged incident was disclosed during a probable cause hearing conducted on Friday, as per local news station KPRC.

During the hearing, law enforcement testimony stated that the victim had recently learned of her pregnancy. Brooks allegedly proceeded to compress her arms, forcefully throw her to the ground, and position himself on top of her to restrain her.

According to the reports, responding officers documented and observed apparent physical injuries sustained by the victim.

“We are aware of an incident involving a Houston Football student-athlete. We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and are gathering more information,” a spokesperson for Houston Athletics stated.

On the other hand, the woman provided a statement to KPRC 2 News, asserting that Brooks had not engaged in any form of assault and had demonstrated no aggressive behavior toward her under any circumstances.

According to her account, a disagreement ensued at Brooks' residence after she learned that she is pregnant. She said that she declined to depart the premises, prompting Brooks to contact emergency services and subsequently remove her from the location by lifting and placing her outside.

She reported that law enforcement personnel found a bruise on her arm. Given that Brooks was sought for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant unrelated to this incident, she stated her belief that he would not face charges pertaining to her case.

According to ESPN, Brooks, who is classified as a sophomore, has yet to appear in any game during the current season.

Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More