Four months after being arrested for DUI in NJ, Dwight Gooden has allegedly abandoned his wife and their 5-year-old son and 4-month-old daughter. Monique Gooden, who is with her parents in Maryland, told the Post, "He's left us with no money. When I got here to Maryland, I had to go apply for social services, food stamps and health insurance for the kids. He has offered no financial assistance to us."
In March, Gooden was pulled over Franklin Lakes after hitting a neighbor's car. He left the scene, saying he had to take his son to school, but was arrested as he headed there, allegedly while under the influence. At the time, his lawyer said Gooden, who has a history of drug abuse, wasn't intoxicated but he had been prescribed Ambien.
Monique told the Post she has no idea where Gooden is, just that he was "holed up in a hotel somewhere in New Jersey back in May." They are now estranged and she "said she last saw her husband on June 22 in Bergen County Family Court. The couple is due back in court in mid-August." More recently, after George Steinbrenner died, Gooden told the Daily News, "George was like a second father for me. It's definitely been a tough day. I woke up this morning - I'm like three hours behind, in Vegas with my daughters - and my cell phone started going off out here around 4 this morning."
Gooden is scheduled to be honored during his induction to the Mets' Hall of Fame next weekend.
