Rick Ross has been arrested in Miami-Dade County after an ex-girlfriend reported an alleged violent incident involving the rapper. Ross turned himself in to police Thursday morning and is facing charges of felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery.
According to law enforcement sources cited in the supplied report, the woman contacted police Tuesday and said the alleged incident happened on August 28 at a home she shared with Ross. She reportedly told authorities that Ross woke her from sleep and confronted her over a photo in which she had been tagged on social media.
The woman alleged that the confrontation became physical after Ross questioned her about whether she was being truthful with him. She told police he slapped her and later accused her of being involved with another person. According to the allegations, she said Ross struck her in the chest multiple times, choked her until she could not breathe, grabbed her by her ponytail and slammed her against a wall.
The woman also reportedly provided police with photographs of injuries she said resulted from the alleged incident.
Ross voluntarily surrendered to authorities and did not speak with police about the allegations, according to the report. Court records show that he has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The rapper remains in Miami-Dade County jail, although his legal team is working to secure his release. The supplied report says bond was set at $5,000 for the battery-by-strangulation charge and $1,000 for the battery charge.
The allegations surfaced after Ross’s ex-girlfriend posted photos online last week showing injuries she said she suffered at his hands. The supplied report notes that it was initially unclear whether those posts were connected to the arrest, but law enforcement sources later linked the reported August incident to the case.
Ross’s attorneys, Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein, have rejected the allegations. In a statement to TMZ, they said Ross is “being wrongfully accused” and argued that the woman’s motivations are unclear. They also pointed to the fact that she did not file a police report until about a month after the alleged incident.
“Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges,” the attorneys said, referring to Ross by his legal name, William Roberts II. They asked the rapper’s friends, fans and the public not to prejudge the case while the judicial process continues.
Rick Ross is scheduled to be arraigned on October 22. The case remains ongoing, and the allegations against him have not been proven in court.
