90 Day Fiancé Alum Caroline Schwitzky’s Ex, Accused of Trying to Drown Her, Acquitted on Attempted Murder Charge

Caroline Schwitzky’s ex Cole Goldberg was accused of attempting to drown her at Boca Bash in 2022

A court has acquitted Cole Goldberg of an attempted murder charge in a case involving Caroline Schwitzky, a former cast member from the reality series 90 Day Fiancé. The case drew widespread attention after allegations surfaced that he tried to drown his ex-girlfriend during a confrontation.

Circuit Judge John Parnofiello announced the verdict in a Palm Beach County, Fla., courtroom on Thursday, March 12. Goldberg was also found not guilty on a charge of simple battery, and a separate count of battery by strangulation, according to courtroom footage shared by Court TV.

The verdict followed three days of testimony, in which Goldberg was accused of attempting to intentionally drown Schwitzky as the couple attended Boca Bash in 2022, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Schwitzky appeared in 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? in 2016 as a talent agent representing Paola Mayfield, who starred in the series alongside her husband, Russ.

Throughout the trial, Goldberg’s attorneys argued that the incident occurred as he was trying to prevent himself from drowning, while Assistant State Attorney Victoria Suarez alleged that he intentionally held Schwitzky’s head under the water and physically assaulted her, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Schwitzky testified that she had broken up with Goldberg just before jumping into the water to swim away from him. The 90 Day Fiancé alum claimed she was promptly pushed underwater, where she was dragged “like a rag doll” as she struggled to free herself.

Schwitzky told the court that she believed she was being attacked by a shark before she saw Goldberg’s legs in the water, per The Palm Beach Post.

“I thought I was going to die,” Schwitzky said.

Meanwhile, Goldberg claimed that he also feared for his life, testifying that he went into the water after Schwitzky because he was worried for her safety in the “unfamiliar” waters, the outlet reported.

Assistant State Attorney Victoria Suarez cited the testimonies of witnesses in nearby boats, who echoed Schwitzky’s account of the incident.

“It’s a rare day that a domestic violence case is going to have six independent eyewitnesses,” Suarez told the judge. “A day I don’t think I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m so glad the truth finally came out. I’ve been dealing with this since 2022, so it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder,” Goldberg said in a statement to TMZ following his acquittal. “There’s no resentment with Caroline, I just cant believe she would ever think I could do something like that.”

“We are all relieved and grateful that this four year ordeal is over,” Goldberg’s attorneys Heidi Perlet and Marc Shiner told TMZ in a statement. “We had every confidence in Judge Parnofiello’s ability to be fair to both sides of the aisle and to follow the law. Despite being a young judge, his sense of fairness, intelligence and reputation for following the law is undisputed.”

Goldberg’s booking report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office viewed by PEOPLE in 2022 said that Goldberg, then 23, was arrested by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

He was charged with one count of attempted homicide, one count of battery, and one count of battery by strangulation, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE. Goldberg later pled “not guilty” to all charges.

PEOPLE has reached out to attorneys for Goldberg and Schwitzky, as well as their representatives, for comment on the verdict.