Padilla Admits Verbally Abusing Wife, Denies Using Gun

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A messy separation has forced bounty hunter Leonard Padilla to surrender three guns, and it's coming right in the middle of his political campaign for mayor of Sacramento.

The mayoral candidate had no problem talking with CBS13 about the restraining order his wife placed on the bounty hunter. Leonard's wife says he's abusive but he denies the allegations against him.

Vanessa Navarro Padilla, 30, claims she's the victim of violence, suffering the wrath of her 73-year-old husband.

"This is probably right up there with when I went to federal prison for a year," said Leonard.

The 46-page document, obtained by CBS13, is very graphic. In the document, Vanessa states that "as I opened the door he sat up from the bed and grabbed his handgun from under my pillow, he pointed it at me and said, get the (expletive) out of here you (expletive) or I will kill you."

CBS13 asked Padilla about the incident.

"Most of it is true, but I never threatened her with a gun or aimed a gun at her," he said.

Padilla says he's known Vanessa and her family for years; in fact he married Vanessa on a whim in 2010.

But he says there's another reason for her to file this restraining order.

"She can't qualify to legalize her status unless she has an allegation of violence, and the best allegation of violence, and the proof of having been exposed to violence, is a restraining order," said Leonard.

Padilla says he's called her plenty of names "dozen of times."

"Whenever she would come in, in the morning, she would be throwing dishes, slamming doors," said Leonard.

So he would call her names and yell at her.

"(Expletive), knock it off. You (expletive), can't you keep it down?" Padilla said he would say to her.

CBS13 reached out to Vanessa's lawyer, but he had no comment.