American rapper Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, on domestic violence charges.
Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, turned himself in early Thursday and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m., according to Miami-Dade jail records.
He faces one third degree felony count of battery by strangulation and one first degree misdemeanor count of battery. Bond was set at $5,000 total — $4,000 for the felony and $1,000 for the misdemeanor. He is scheduled for arraignment October 22.
The charges stem from a complaint filed September 29 by his former girlfriend, identified in the affidavit as “JK” and publicly named as Jazzma Kendrick. She told police they dated and lived together for about a year at his Star Island residence.
According to the affidavit, the alleged incident occurred August 28. She alleged Ross woke her over an Instagram photo she was tagged in, accused her of being involved with another man, slapped her, and struck her several times in the chest each time she denied it.
She further alleged he choked her by twisting the collar of her hoodie until she could not breathe, grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall, striking her face while bent over and causing a busted lip, then pushed her to the floor and attempted to spray her with a shower head.
She provided police with timestamped photos of injuries, the affidavit states. She left the residence and returned to gather belongings after he left.
Ross pleaded not guilty. His attorneys Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein said, “William Roberts II, professionally known as Rick Ross, is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear. The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place.”
A stay-away order barring contact with the alleged victim was issued.
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