Ortiz

FACTS

Tenika Ortiz sought a restraining order against appellant Clarke, the father of her two minor children, requesting protection for herself and the children. Ortiz alleged that appellant banged on her door, yelling that he wanted to see the children; he threatened to go to Ortiz’s apartment with a bat and was “going to do whatever it took to see the kids.” The trial court granted a temporary restraining order on August 7, 2013. During a child custody hearing on August 14, 2013, appellant was served by the bailiff with a notice of hearing on Ortiz’s request for a protective order, prompting appellant to tell the trial judge that Ortiz was trying to deprive him of his parental rights. Ortiz declined the court’s offer to adjudicate her request for a restraining order concurrently with the child custody matter. Appellant served a written response to Ortiz’s request for a restraining order. On August 28, 2013, after hearing testimony from appellant and Ortiz, and considering appellant’s opposition papers, the court granted the restraining order. It prohibits appellant from harassing, attacking, striking, assaulting, hitting, following, stalking, surveilling, blocking, or…