Rick Ross was arrested by Miami Beach police early Thursday morning on domestic violence charges, including a felony count of battery by strangulation, according to Miami-Dade jail and court records.
The 50 year old rapper, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. He faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery. Both charges are listed as involving domestic violence.
Under Florida law, battery by strangulation means intentionally blocking someone’s normal breathing or blood flow by putting pressure on their throat or neck, or by covering their nose or mouth. The charge applies when the alleged victim is a family member, a household member or someone the accused is dating. It is a third degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bond was set at $5,000 on the strangulation charge and $1,000 on the battery charge, for a total of $6,000. Jail records note the listed bond may not reflect the current amount, and it was not immediately clear whether Rick Ross had been released.
Ross has hired defense attorney Bradley Horenstein, and his arraignment is scheduled for October 22.
Police have not released the arrest report. Who the alleged victim is, when and where the incident happened, and what led officers to make the arrest have not been made public.
The arrest comes less than a week after Ross’ former girlfriend, model and realtor Jazzma Kendrick, publicly accused him of abuse. Over the weekend of September 26, she posted photos of a swollen, bruised lip on her Instagram Stories with the caption “The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left.” In response to a follower who complimented her, she wrote, “He saw a punching bag.” She later said the incident happened about a month before she went public.
It has not been confirmed whether Kendrick’s allegations are connected to Thursday’s arrest. Ross had not responded to her claims before he was taken into custody.
50 Cent, who has feuded with Rick Ross for years, was among those who reacted to Kendrick’s posts. He wrote that he’d normally laugh at Ross, but domestic violence is not a joke.
The arrest also lands the same week a concert promoter sued Ross for $261,000, claiming he skipped the final two North Carolina dates of his Port of Miami 20th Anniversary tour in August.
Ross, who grew up in Carol City and founded Maybach Music Group, has not publicly commented on the arrest.
