Prominent transgender chef Luna Contreras has been charged with domestic violence following an alleged drunken assault on her girlfriend in Portland, Oregon, according to police reports.
Details of the Alleged Assault
Luna Contreras, 45, was arrested on December 19 after she reportedly arrived intoxicated at the apartment of an intimate partner she had been dating for two months. Court documents obtained by The Oregonian state that the situation escalated quickly upon her arrival.
The girlfriend informed police that Contreras began aggressively grabbing and touching her. The alleged violence intensified when Contreras put her hands around the woman's neck and threw a glass liquor bottle at her.
Security personnel at the building responded to reports of a disturbance and discovered the victim attempting to push Contreras out of the apartment. As guards intervened, Contreras is accused of attempting to use a taser on one of them, though she reportedly missed her target.
Legal Charges and Restaurant Fallout
Contreras was subsequently arrested and now faces multiple charges: fourth-degree attempted assault constituting domestic violence, two counts of harassment, and one count of unlawful use of a stun gun. She entered a plea of not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. A no-contact order has been issued, and her next court appearance is scheduled for January 20.
The legal drama has had immediate professional consequences. Chelo, her pop-up Mexican restaurant operating from the Dame collective, abruptly closed on December 19 – the very day of her arrest. The Dame website confirmed the closure.
The fallout continued when, on December 26, the other restaurant within Dame, Ma Cher, also announced its closure on Instagram, citing "events that none of us could have foreseen happening." The post added that they wished to respect everyone affected and it was not their place to speak for others. Shortly after, the entire Dame collective announced it would close permanently by year's end.
A Rising Star's Public Profile
Contreras had been a celebrated figure in Portland's culinary scene. In 2022, she competed on the Netflix series Snack v. Chef, though she was eliminated in the fourth episode. The following year, she was named Chef of the Year by local publication Eater PDX for her work at Chelo.
Eater PDX's profile praised her as a "ubiquitous" part of the city's food fabric, a staple at major events, and a vocal advocate for the trans community. On her Instagram, Contreras describes herself as an "immigrant, brown, trans, queer, activist." In a post celebrating her Eater award, she wrote of being "so very proud as a trans woman and as an immigrant."
The Daily Mail has contacted Contreras for comment on the charges.
