By Iliana Limon
A University of New Mexico football player was charged with five felony counts and jailed during the past week following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, according to Metropolitan Court records.
Lobos safety Aleem Charles Harris, a 21-year-old from San Bernadino, Calif., was arrested by university police Friday and charged with four counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm and kidnapping with great bodily harm. The incident took place Wednesday on the UNM campus, according to court records.
Harris posted 10 percent of a $50,000 bond and was released from the Metropolitan Detention Center Friday, court records state.
New Mexico football coach Rocky Long said Harris was suspended from the team indefinitely Thursday morning when Long learned of the altercation.
Campus police were called to Lovelace Hospital, where they interviewed Harris' ex-girlfriend Gladys Clear, who said Harris hit her. She suffered a fractured nose and two large bumps on her head, according to a Metro Court criminal complaint.
Clear told police she had been dating Harris for six months, but she ended the relationship two weeks ago. She told officers she heard Harris was engaged to someone else and received a text message to meet him at the Redondo Village student apartments on campus where Harris lives, the complaint states.
She said she wasn't worried about a physical confrontation because he had never hit her in the past, but she took a friend, Jennifer Shaw, with her to meet Harris. Clear said Harris began screaming at her, pushed her against a wall and hit her on the nose with the heel of his hand. She said dodged several of Harris' swings, but her head hit the wall three times and she heard a loud pop when Harris struck her nose, the complaint states.
Clear told police Harris screamed, "I've never hit a woman, but I'm about to ... you up," according to the complaint.
Shaw told Harris he would go to jail because of the fight, but she said he did not appear to care, the complaint states.
Clear said Harris' roommate and teammate Othellus Swift tried to break up the fight. When interviewed by police, Swift said he saw Harris' hand on Clear's throat pinning her against the wall. Swift said he also saw Clear hitting Harris but could not provide further details about any blows Clear may have landed on Harris, the complaint states.
Harris, who is 6-3 and 225 pounds, joined the football team during the 2005 season as a junior transfer from Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
He ranked second in the team in tackles with 67, grabbed two interceptions, broke up three passes, recovered one fumble and forced one fumble. Harris appeared in all 11 games, starting in seven. Harris played the roving safety position known as the Lobo position that was made famous by ex-Lobo and decorated NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher.

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