Woman Accuses Rick Ross of Strangling and Hitting Her, Rapper Arrested in Miami Beach
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| Rick Ross (American rapper and music executive) |
Rapper Rick Ross was taken into custody Thursday in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident at his Star Island mansion, Miami Beach police said. A woman has accused him of repeatedly striking her and restricting her breathing during an altercation in August.
Ross, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, voluntarily surrendered to detectives at Miami Beach Police headquarters before being taken into custody. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m.
The 50-year-old rapper faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. Police and the arrest affidavit state that the charges stem from an alleged domestic violence incident in late August at his Star Island residence, which was reported to police on Sept. 29.
Arrest Report Outlines Allegations
According to the affidavit, Ross and the alleged victim had been in a relationship for about a year and were living together at the time.
The woman told investigators that on Aug. 28, Ross woke her at around 7:44 a.m., angry that she had been tagged in an Instagram photo. Police said Ross questioned whether she was lying to him and allegedly slapped her across the face.
Later that morning, the affidavit states, Ross accused the woman of being involved with another person and continued questioning her in a bathroom. She told police he struck her in the chest several times and restricted her breathing by grabbing and twisting the collar of her hoodie.
The affidavit further alleges that Ross grabbed her by the ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face, causing a busted lip. He then allegedly pushed her to the floor, turned on the shower and tried to spray her with the shower head. The woman eventually left the bathroom and, after Ross left the residence, gathered her belongings and departed, according to the affidavit.
Police said the woman later gave detectives a sworn statement along with timestamped photographs of her injuries. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the residence that, they said, showed a friend arriving to pick her up and being turned away. The affidavit states that Ross later posted a photo on his Instagram account showing the friend arriving at the property.
Ross and His Attorney Deny the Allegations
Ross denied the allegations in a video statement posted to his Instagram Stories around noon Thursday.
"First and foremost, I'm totally innocent of the fabricated allegations made against myself. I repeat, I am totally innocent with these fabricated allegations," Ross said. "I have such an amazing team, and I'm totally confident that these fabricated allegations will be laid to rest."
Earlier Thursday, Ross' attorney, Bradley Horenstein, also denied the allegations and urged the public not to rush to judgment while the case proceeds through the legal process.
"All I can say is that the allegations are false. He's innocent. Everything is going to come out," Horenstein told CBS News Miami. "We just ask that you allow the process to play out before rushing to judgment, because the truth will come in."
Court Proceedings
Ross appeared via Zoom in Miami-Dade bond court Thursday morning. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer said she had reviewed the arrest report and found probable cause.
During the hearing, Horenstein noted that Ross is a celebrity and asked that his client's release be expedited. The judge set bond at $4,000 on the battery by strangulation charge and $1,000 on the misdemeanor battery charge, for a total of $5,000. Ross posted bond late Thursday morning.
Judge Glazer also issued a stay-away order involving the alleged victim, who was identified in court by her initials. Ross was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with her, including through third parties, social media or other electronic means, and to stay away from her home, workplace or school.
Ross was further ordered to surrender any firearms and concealed weapons and is prohibited from possessing firearms. The judge also directed him not to engage in criminal activity or use illegal drugs while the case is pending.
His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Ross, a Miami-area native known for songs including "Hustlin'," has been a prominent figure in hip-hop for two decades.
