‘American Idol’ Contestant Cecil Ray Baker Arrested For Burglary, Accused Of Domestic Violence

A Texas man who appeared on the most recent season of “American Idol” has been arrested for burglary in an alleged domestic violence incident involving his ex-girlfriend.

Cecil Ray Baker, 20, was arrested Saturday after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home on Wednesday and striking her in the face, local outlet KXXV reports. The unnamed woman told officers with the Rockdale Police Department that Baker tried to break into her home using a back entrance after she refused to let him come inside and see her child, which he believes he fathered, according to the outlet. Once Baker was inside, the victim said that she repeatedly told him to leave and he used the heel of his palm to strike her in the face.

Upon their arrival, police found the victim with an injured left cheek, according to KXXV. Baker’s sister was also present during the altercation and her story largely matched what his ex-girlfriend told police, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by TMZ.

Following Wednesday’s incident, police tried to find Baker, but he’d moved to a different town, TMZ reports. He was arrested on Saturday. Police took him into custody for burglary of habitation and he was released later that day after posting $15,000 bond.

Baker, a country singer, competed on the current season 19 of “American Idol." He was eliminated from the competition earlier this month after making it to the top 24. He has not commented publicly on his arrest, and the Rockdale Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.com.

Baker’s ex-girlfriend has been identified as Mariah Lopez, PEOPLE reports. In a TikTok video shared on Sunday, Lopez shared photos of her injuries and screenshots of text messages detailing alleged abuse abuse alongside photos of Baker’s booking information.

"I've had enough. This is why victims never come forward bc y'all try so hard to tear them down," she wrote in the caption of one video, adding the hashtags “do better” and “be better.” In another video, Lopez shared a photo of herself and Baker posing with her daughter, with the words “You really had everyone fooled” written across the top. She then showed clips of Baker performing on “American Idol,” followed by screenshots of text message conversations and photos and videos of injuries.