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10/15/2012 03:00 PMTamara Sytch, a former World Wrestling Entertainment star, made her fifth appearance in Superior Court Monday, admitting through her attorney that she was “not thinking clearly” when she returned to her former Branford home, violating a protective order for the fourth time.
Sytch, 39, a former professional wrestler and manager for WWE known by the name “Sunny,” is being held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail, as determined by the judge Wednesday. This is her fifth arrest in a month, her second in 24 hours. She was charged Tuesday with three counts of violating a protective order and burglary.
The warrants for each of Sytch’s arrests allege details of her often being drunk, and at one point using UFC moves to choke her ex-boyfriend. The man is 27, a professional wrestler, musician and model.
WWE spokesman Kevin Hennessy said WWE has a “former talent rehabilitation program” that Sytch has been sent to three times, with WWE covering all costs.
“Unfortunately, Ms. Sytch continues to make poor personal choices. WWE will continue to provide assistance should she want to take advantage of it,” the statement read.
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According to the Branford Police Department’s case narrative, an off-duty officer Tuesday saw a woman matching Sytch’s description climbing the balcony at 33 Stoneridge Lane, the home of Sytch’s ex-boyfriend and where she is not permitted to be because of the protective orders. An officer visited the home and observed Sytch inside, and she was arrested.
Sytch told police she had returned home to get her cellphone and clothes, and “was under the impression that the protective order prevented her from being within 100 yards of (the person), but not preventing her to go to the residence and retrieve her belongings.”
At her arraignment Wednesday, Sytch through an attorney told the judge that she had returned home to get her belongings, knowing that the person the protective order was for was not at home. According to the protective order, Sytch could return to the residence once with police to retrieve her belongings. Her attorney said Sytch was new to the area, did not know where the Police Department was and did not have a phone to call, so she went to the home knowing the man wasn’t there.
Police Monday arrested Sytch when her ex-boyfriend came home to allegedly find her passed out on his couch. The man told police that Sytch was living with him in the Branford residence for two months, but that she was an “alcoholic” and had been in rehabilitation for one month of that time. Police found an empty vodka bottle and a large hole kicked through the bathroom door, allegedly done by Sytch. Police say Sytch appeared heavily intoxicated. Sytch told police she knew she wasn’t supposed to be at the house, according to the warrant.
The series of events began Sept. 11, when Sytch’s ex-boyfriend said he was in a physical altercation with her. He told police Sytch had started “drinking again,” accused him of cheating on her, jumped on top of him and began pulling his hair.
“(He) also said that as recent as a week ago, Sytch choked him as he described, in a UFC-style choke hold,” the case report says.
Police said Sytch was “obviously intoxicated” but denied there was a physical altercation. At that time, she was charged with disorderly conduct and held in lieu of $500 bail. A protective order was issued, restricting Sytch from assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering with or stalking the protected person.
The next day, Sept. 12, police returned to the home for a report of a domestic disturbance. They met with the man, who said Sytch was intoxicated and had climbed through a kitchen window to get in the home. At that time, the man said there was no physical altercation, so Sytch had not violated her protective order. Police left, but waited in the parking lot. Officers observed “Sytch push (the man) into the residence, and shortly thereafter, (the man) started signaling to officers to return to the residence.”
The man said that once inside after police left, Sytch grabbed him by the throat and choked him, making it hard for him to breath. She also allegedly pulled his hair. At that point, Sytch was arrested and held in lieu of $25,000 bail, charged with violation of a protective order, strangulation and disorderly conduct.
The day following, Sept. 13, the man reported to police that Sytch had returned to the home. Sytch was arrested and charged with violating a protective order. She told police that the man had told her to come there. She was held in lieu of $2,500 bail.
The current protective order restricts Sytch from assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering with or stalking the man; she must stay away from his home, she can’t contact him by any means, cannot possess or use a dangerous weapon, cannot possess or use alcohol or drugs, and must stay 100 yards away from the man.
Cash bail is a much higher threshold for a defendant to meet, compared with a surety bond, in which a bail bondsman can post a percentage of the bail needed.
Each of the previous times Sytch has been arrested, she posted bail before being re-arrested. After Tuesday night’s arrest, Branford police did not release her until arraignment.
Police list her current address as 382 Brookfield Ave., Staten Island, N.Y.
According to the WWE website, Sytch was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, though she has not worked there for some time.
In Sytch’s purported Twitter account biography, she says: “I am the Original Diva, Hall of Famer, Lover and Fighter, getting better with age.”
She’s tweeted before and after arrests saying she’s writing an autobiography, and looking for people to publish it.
“Has my work finally paid off? Have I become mainstreet media gossip?” she said on Oct. 5. Sytch’s account isn’t verified by Twitter, but she shares personal photos of herself verifying her information.
Sytch’s ex-boyfriend did not return a call for comment.
Sytch is due to appear in court Oct. 30.