Legislator Manny Abarca pleads not guilty to domestic battery charges in Johnson County
OLATHE, Kan. — Jackson County Legislator Manuel 'Manny' Abarca IV appeared in a Johnson County courtroom Thursday after he was charged with domestic battery.
On Wednesday, Manny was charged with domestic battery in Johnson County—stemming from a reported incident that happened on May 29, 2025. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Thursday, June 5.
Jackson Co. Legislator Abarca served protection order before reported missing
He was booked into the Johnson County, Kansas, jail at 2:14 p.m. Wednesday and was released after posting a $1,500 bond.
On Sunday, Abarca's wife reported him and their 2-year-old son missing – stating that she last saw her son on Wednesday evening and last saw her husband on Thursday.
Shawnee police announced on Wednesday that the missing 2-year-old had been safely located and said their well-being had been verified.
Alexis posted on Facebook Wednesday evening that her son is safe and back home with her.
Abarca released the following statement to FOX4 Wednesday night:
'This is a matter of current litigation, so, unfortunately, there is not much I can say about this case at this time. However, I will say that I love my children more than anything, and I will always put them first. I hope that this issue is decided quickly so that the entire story can be told.'
Jackson Co. Legislator Abarca charged in Missouri, Kansas
He is also charged in Kansas City Municipal Court with violating a protection order.
According to online court records, the protection order was issued by a Jackson County Circuit Court judge on May 30. As part of it, Manny was ordered to have no contact with his wife, and his wife was awarded custody of their child.
Online court records show that Abarca is scheduled to appear in court for the Kansas City charge on July 10, 2025, at 9 a.m.
FOX4 spoke with Aldo Caller, the attorney representing Abarca in Johnson County.
He claims that Abarca's wife is actually the one who put the child in danger.
'There was an incident where his wife tried to take the child under circumstances he thought to be dangerous,' Caller told FOX4.
'We are going to show all of that in court. We want everyone to give these people some peace, some privacy, and let the court resolve all of these situations.'
His attorney said Abarca was looking out for his son when he took the child.
'He has done what, I think, what any father who is concerned about the nature of a child would do,' Caller said. 'He has looked out for the safety and welfare of the child, and we are prepared to show that in court.'
He said the claims of domestic battery are false.
'There are things, I think, that will be shocking to a lot of people – things that are not at all uncommon in many relationships, but we're going to leave that to the courts to decide,' Abarca's attorney told FOX4.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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