Recent American Idol contestant Cecil Ray Baker was arrested on Saturday (April 17) on a charge of burglary of a habitation.
Records from the Milam County Sheriff's Office in Texas show that the Rockdale Police Department arrested Baker on Saturday afternoon. He was booked at the county jail at 3:27 p.m. and released a little over an hour later on a $15,000 bail.
Per TMZ, a police report alleges that Baker "forced his way into the home of his ex-girlfriend and struck her in the face when she refused to let him see the child he believes is his."
An affidavit obtained and quoted by TMZ says that the alleged victim, Mariah Lopez, "claims she wouldn't let Baker in, so he went to a locked back door and ripped it open to gain entry. She told police he then pushed her to the floor and 'struck her in the face with a palm heel' before leaving."
Baker's sister witnessed the alleged incident.
A TikTok user identifying herself as Lopez has used the platform to allege domestic violence, though it's unclear if those posts address Saturday's arrest.
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Baker made it to the Top 24 of the ABC competition series, with his time in Hollywood ending after a solo performance of Tracy Lawrence's "Paint Me a Birmingham" and a duet of "Freedom Was a Highway" with country singer Jimmie Allen.
During Baker's run on Idol, Luke Bryan praised the young Texan's audition performance, while Katy Perry lauded the contestant as the "country Justin Beiber."
Baker dedicated his audition performance of Morgan Wallen's "Talkin' Tennessee," which was filmed back in the fall, to his two-month-old daughter.
Burglary of a habitation is a second-degree felony in Texas.
