Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Denies Using Knife on Jen, Was Protecting Daughter – TMZ, Tmz.com

Ronnie Ortiz-Magrodenies ever wielding a knife against his baby mama,Jen Harley, in their latest alleged domestic violence incident … and insists he was only out to protect their daughter.

Sources familiar with the matter tell TMZ … Ronnie is adamant he NEVER picked up or threatened Jen with a knife during their latest domestic disturbance in LA … which required the cops to come out, break down a door and tase him in the end.

We’re told Ronnie onlyconfronted Jenbecause he was afraid she was trying to take their daughter away from their Airbnb rental home … which surveillance footage from a neighborbor’s house seems to support, on the surface anyway.

TMZ broke the story … Jenlooked pretty terrifiedas she sidled up to the neighbor’s home with 1-year-oldArianain hand, attempting to open the trunk of the neighborbor’s car.

The neighbor says they saw Jen trying to drop Ariana over a fence, before we’re told Ronnie showed up and snatched back the kid … allegedly striking Jen as well. Things got worse from there as cops showed up breached the front door to reach Ronnie, who was holed up with Ariana and refused to come out.

He eventually had to be subdued by taser, and was arrested on kidnapping charges. He was released from custody a short time later.

This, of course, is just the most recent dust-up between the volatile pair. There’s theashtray-throwingsaga, theransacking tale… and then the notoriouscar-draggingepisode. None of that is lost on those closest to them either, BTW.

Our sources say both Ron and Jen’s friends continue to urge them to split for good, if for nothing else other than Ariana’s safety.