The wife of suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has gone home to support her family -- financially.
Eliana Lopez, who Mirkarimi plead guilty to falsely imprisoning following a highly-publicized New Year's Eve fight, will stay in Venezuela, her native country, until mid-June, according to Bay City News. Mirkarimi allegedly grabbed her arm, causing a bruise, as the two squabbled over their young son. He has since been suspended from office without pay as Mayor Ed Lee seeks to remove him from the post permanently.
In the court order signed by Judge Harold Kahn, the court acknowledged that the suspension has left the family without income. Having Lopez at home means she "can find temporary work within the film industry," and it also means "their son is protected from the publicity surrounding this matter," according to reports.
The order also allows the couple to have "peaceful contact" for purposes of setting up daily phone calls between Mirkarimi and his son, according to reports.
Mirkarimi's case will go before the City's Ethics Commission before the Board of Supervisors will vote to remove him, according to reports. There is also a separate case involving the future of Mirkarimi's career in San Francisco Superior Court, where attorneys for the suspended sheriff have challenged the process.
