Katie Ginella was found to be the “aggressor” by police who investigated a 2015 traffic incident where the Real Housewives of Orange County star was accused of causing a man’s wrongful arrest, In Touch can exclusively report.
In Touch obtained the Cobb County Police report for the April 12, 2015, incident between Katie, 40, and a man named Sidnei Silva.
As In Touch first reported, Katie was sued by Sidnei in March 2016. Sidnei claimed the Bravo star made false allegations to police that led to him being wrongfully arrested for false imprisonment.
Sidnei also sued Cobb County and the police officer involved in a separate lawsuit.
In the police report, the officer noted that he was called by Katie about an “aggressive driver” who was harassing and videotaping her.
Katie told the dispatch that Sidnei was out of his car and yelling at her and her children.
The officer said Sidnei was recording Katie and her children with his phone when he arrived at the scene. The officer told Sidnei to return to his car but he ignored the commands.
Sidnei told the police he would not get back in his car and then allegedly walked towards one officer “in an aggressive manner.”
“At this time in our investigation the primary aggressor and actual events of the situation were unclear. In an attempt to separate both parties and thoroughly investigate the incident, we requested Sidnei to stay in his vehicle, however, Sidnei refused to comply,” the report said. The police accused Sidnei of being disorderly and hindering the investigation.
The officer then detained Sidnei and placed him in handcuffs. “Due to Sidnei’s actions and yelling in public I placed Sidnei in my patrol car,” the officer noted. Katie told police that Sidnei began to tailgate her where he could have rear ended her. She said that Sidnei flicked her off using his middle finger.
She said he honked his horn at her, causing her distraction. She claimed he was recording her while driving and yelling. She claimed her children started to cry. Katie claimed she pulled over the car to tell Sidnei to stop recording her. She claimed Sidnei blocked her path and prevented her from returning to the car.
Katie then called police.
Sidnei was arrested for obstruction. He was taken to the detention center where Sidnei told police that he had proof of what actually happened.
He said he had videos on his phone. The officer said he agreed to watch whatever videos Sidnei wanted. Sidnei gave the officer his passcode for his cell phone and the officer watched two videos “that showed Katie get out of her vehicle and tell Sidnei to stop recording her. Based off what I witnessed in the video Sidnei did not block her path to her vehicle.”
Sidnei told police that he was driving when he saw Katie texting and driving with kids in the back. He said Katie was swerving in and our of her lane.
He said he rolled down his window and yelled at her to stop texting. Sidnei admitted to recording Katie but told police he did not follow her.
He said Katie followed him to his house and got out of her car to confront him.
“Sidnei said when we arrived we were on the street in front of his residence and if he was following Katie then his vehicle should be parked behind Katie’s vehicle,” the report said.
“I corroborated some of Sidnei’s statements because when I arrived on scene Sidnei’s vehicle was in front of Katie’s vehicle,” the report said.
“When I was evaluating all the testimonial and physical evidence I concluded that Katie was the aggressor on the road; however; when I arrived on scene Sidnei was the primary aggressor,” the officer said.
The officer said Sidnei should have called police instead of filming Katie. The police decided to drop the false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and reckless driving charges against Sidnei.
No charges were ever brought against Katie.
In his lawsuits, Sidnei claimed he took issue with Katie texting and driving because his brother was killed by a driver who was texting years ago. Sidnei claimed that was why he shook his head in disapproval.
He said she then followed him home and parked her car behind his work van.
Sidnei claimed, “[Katie] exited her vehicle and confronted [Sidnei] aggressively,” the suit said. Sidnei said he started to film Katie with his cell phone to “protect himself.”
He claimed Katie then called the police to falsely report he was preventing her from leaving the scene. Sidnei claimed she could have driven off without issue.
“When police arrived minutes later … [Katie] again communicated to them that [Sidnei] had blocked her path and prevented her from getting inside her vehicle and leaving.”
“As a result of [Katie’s] allegations, the police initially arrested [Sidnei] for false imprisonment, disorderly conduct, and reckless driving,” the lawsuit said. “Upon further investigation, the police determined that [Katie] was the primary aggressor and that her allegations against [Sidnei] were false.”
In court documents, Sidnei’s lawyer said, “As a result of the investigation initiated by [Katie’s] call and her subsequent false allegations, [Sidnei] was thrown to the ground, injured and arrested.”
Sidnei demanded in excess of $100,000 in damages. Katie never responded to the suit and was hit with a default judgment of $112,945 in 2018. In 2018, Sidnei dismissed his federal lawsuit.
On the RHOC reunion, Katie denied claims that she falsely reported a crime and accused Sidnei of being the one to follow her. She said she never responded to the lawsuit because the paperwork was served at her ex-husband’s home, and she was not aware of it at the time.
As In Touch first reported, Katie was involved in a bitter divorce with her ex-husband, Andrew.
