Niners FB Bruce Miller faces misdemeanor vandalism charge

ByPaul Gutierrez ESPN logo
Monday, May 4, 2015

San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller, arrested March 5 on suspicion of spousal abuse in Santa Clara after an argument with his girlfriend, has been charged with misdemeanor vandalism, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office announced Monday.

According to the release, Miller "threw her phone against a wall. While original reports indicated that Miller may have pushed his girlfriend from his parked car, an investigation into the alleged assault was inconclusive."

He was expected to be arraigned Monday, and if convicted, Miller could face up to a year in jail. Miller has not attended any of the Niners' voluntary offseason workouts thus far.

"They don't have to be here at this stage in the season," 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said last month. "We sat down with Bruce and feel it's very important for him to handle this situation, and once it's handled, we'll move on from there."

The only mandatory program the team has before training camp begins in late July is a three-day minicamp from June 9-11.

The report stated that Miller and his girlfriend "were arguing" in a parking garage at the Rivermark Hyatt House in Santa Clara. The woman originally told police that Miller had pushed her out of the car before he grabbed her cellphone and smashed it.

"Miller's girlfriend, who refused medical attention, did not sustain any visible injuries or have any complaint of pain," the report stated. "In a later interview, she denied that there had been any physical contact during the incident."