By Our Reporter
American rapper Rick Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts II, has been arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, over allegations of domestic violence.
The 50-year-old rapper was taken into custody in the early hours of Thursday and booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 6:10 a.m., according to Miami-Dade County jail records.
Ross is facing one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery, both classified as domestic violence offences, according to CBS News Miami.
An arrest affidavit cited by The U.S. Sun said the alleged victim, a woman who told police she had been in a relationship with Ross for about a year, claimed the incident began after the rapper saw that she had been tagged in a photograph on Instagram.
According to the affidavit, the woman alleged that Ross confronted her and accused her of being involved with another man before allegedly slapping her.
She further alleged that the confrontation continued in a bathroom, where Ross allegedly struck her several times in the chest, grabbed the collar of her hoodie, twisted it around her neck and choked her until she could not breathe.
The woman also alleged that Ross pulled her by the ponytail, slammed her against a wall and struck her in the face while she was bent over, causing an injury to her lip.
She claimed he subsequently pushed her to the floor, turned on the shower and attempted to spray her with the showerhead.
Ross’ lawyer, Bradley Horenstein, denied the allegations and said his client was innocent.
“All I can say is that the allegations are false. He’s innocent. Everything is going to come out. We just ask that you allow the process to play out before rushing to judgment, because the truth will come in,” Horenstein told CBS News Miami.
Ross is scheduled to be arraigned on October 22.
The arrest came days after his former girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, publicly accused him of physical assault in a series of Instagram posts.
Kendrick shared photographs showing an injured lip which she alleged was caused by Ross about a month earlier. She said she ended the relationship following the alleged incident.
Authorities have not confirmed whether Kendrick is the woman identified as the alleged victim in the current criminal case.
Ross, who has built a successful career in hip-hop and owns the Maybach Music Group label, has yet to publicly comment on the latest allegations.