American rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, over allegations of domestic violence involving his former girlfriend.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested early Thursday and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 6:10am. He faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery, with both charges classified as domestic violence.
Court records show that the rapper’s bond was set at $5,000 for the strangulation charge and $1,000 for the battery charge, bringing the total to $6,000. His arraignment is scheduled for October 22.
The arrest followed allegations by Ross’s former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, who recently accused him of physically assaulting her. Kendrick had shared photographs on social media showing an injured lip, alleging that Ross caused the injury during their relationship.
According to the arrest affidavit, the alleged incident occurred on August 28 after Ross became upset over an Instagram photograph in which Kendrick was tagged. She alleged that he slapped her, struck her in the chest several times, grabbed and twisted the collar of her hoodie around her neck, and slammed her against a wall.
Kendrick reportedly contacted police on September 29, about a month after the alleged incident. She also provided investigators with photographs and other evidence relating to her allegations.
Ross’s lawyer, Bradley Horenstein, has denied the allegations, saying his client is innocent and asking the public to allow the legal process to take its course.
It has not been independently established that Kendrick’s public allegations are the same incident underlying the criminal charges, although the arrest came shortly after she made the claims publicly.
