Rapper Rick Ross was arrested Thursday morning in Miami Beach in connection with a domestic violence case, online jail records show.
According to records, Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. on a battery by strangulation charge.
The 50-year-old’s arrest comes days after his now ex-girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, took to Instagram to publicly accuse him of physically abusing her.
Last weekend, Kendrick posted an Instagram Story, sharing a DM from a fan who told her, “I’m seeing what Rick is seeing your (sic) so gorgeous.”
Kendrick responded, “He saw a punching bag.”
An arrest report from the Miami Beach Police Department names the victim in the case only by the initials J.K.
According to the report, the victim went to the police department Tuesday to report a domestic violence incident that she said occurred on the morning of Aug. 28.
Police said the victim and Ross had been in a relationship for about a year and lived together at the time of the incident.
According to the report, the victim claimed that she was awakened by Ross on Aug. 28, as he was enraged that she had been tagged in a photo on Instagram.
Police said Ross questioned the victim, accused her of lying to him and then slapped her in the face.
The rapper then accused the victim of being involved with a man she claimed she was only friends with, authorities said.
According to the report, Ross followed the victim around as he questioned her and struck her each time she denied the accusations.
Police said Ross also struck the victim several times in the chest and choked her to the point that she couldn’t breathe by grabbing the collar of her hoodie and twisting it.
Authorities said the rapper then grabbed the victim by her ponytail and slammed her into a wall before striking her in the face as she was bent over, leaving her with a “busted lip.”
According to the report, Ross then pushed the victim to the floor of a bathroom, grabbed the shower head and tried to spray her with water.
The victim was able to escape from the bathroom and leave the home, authorities said.
According to the report, the victim returned to the property and waited for Ross to leave before she gathered her belongings and left again.
Police said the victim called a friend to pick her up, but surveillance video shows that the friend was turned away from the property.
According to the report, Ross surrendered himself at the police station Thursday morning and did not provide a statement about the incident.
He appeared in bond court later in the morning, where his attorney, Bradley Horenstein, asked for his release to be expediated because Ross is a “celebrity.”
“Mr. Roberts is a celebrity,” Horenstein told Judge Mindy Glazer.
“So what does that mean?” Glazer asked.
“I don’t know to whatever degree your honor can, but I’d ask that his release be expediated,” Horenstein said. “He’s in a red jumpsuit and for purposes of his safety. I don’t know what your honor can do.”
Glazer appeared to be less than impressed, saying she didn’t know who the rapper was but that he would “be treated fairly just like everybody else here.”
She ultimately granted him a $5,000 bond and he was released from jail shortly after. Glazer ordered him to stay away from the victim.
After posting bond, Ross addressed reporters outside TGK shortly after noon, saying he is “totally innocent” and plans to vacation to Dubai and Paris this weekend.
“First and foremost, I am totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” Ross said. “Now, I have an amazing team, such an amazing team … what my weekend looks like, I’ll be in Dubai tomorrow, Paris Saturday and I plan on having a bowl of rigatoni with heavy marinara Sunday.”
Ross also denied the allegation when Local 10’s Jeff Derderian repeatedly asked him if he strangled the woman.
While Ross is originally from Mississippi, he grew up in Miami-Dade’s Carol City and has homes in Atlanta and Miami Beach’s Star Island.
He has had numerous hit songs over his career, including “Aston Martin Music” and “Hustlin’.”
Ross’ attorneys, Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein, released a statement Thursday evening on his behalf, saying he was being “wrongfully accused” and asking the public not to “prejudge” the case.
“William Roberts II, professionally known as Rick Ross, is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear,” the statement read. “The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place. Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges. He respectfully requests that his friends, fans and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”
Source: local10.com
Discussion about this post