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06/25 08:42 CDT Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold has been arrested in a
Florida kidnapping and robbery
Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold has been arrested in a Florida kidnapping
and robbery
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) --- Detroit Lions starting cornerback Terrion Arnold has been
arrested and is accused of being the ringleader in an armed robbery and
kidnapping in Florida, and state prosecutors plan to charge him with multiple
felonies.
Three men in their late teens were held at gunpoint, battered, pistol-whipped
and robbed in Tampa on Feb. 4, and the 23-year-old Arnold was the "primary
conspirator," the Tampa Police Department said in a statement Wednesday.
Arnold surrendered to authorities Wednesday and is slated to appear in
Hillsborough County court Thursday afternoon.
The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office posted on X that prosecutors
will charge Arnold with "multiple felony charges which carry a potential
sentence of up to life in prison." Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrest
records show he faces four counts of a weapon-related charge and four charges
related to kidnapping, harming or terrorizing.
Six other suspects were arrested. Two of them pleaded guilty and the others are
being held without bond, prosecutors said.
The Lions declined to comment on Arnold's arrest Wednesday night. Arnold was a
first-round pick in the 2024 draft after playing at the University of Alabama.
He comes from Florida.
Arnold denies being involved, according to Denise White, the CEO of EAG Sports
Management agency that represents him.
"There is no credible evidence linking Mr. Arnold to these allegations," White
said in a statement. "Instead, the government appears to be relying on
testimony from multiple convicted felons who have admitted their own
involvement and may have substantial incentives to shift blame in an effort to
lessen their sentences."
Arnold and some friends reported in February that more than $250,000 worth of
their property had been stolen from an Airbnb in Largo, police said. Largo is
about 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of Tampa.
Arnold told authorities two teens were behind the robbery but investigators
determined this was not the case, police said.
The State Attorney's Office said Arnold orchestrated the kidnapping and
robbery, apparently in retaliation, just hours after reporting the burglary.
The teens told police that Arnold's friends lured them to an apartment, held
them at gunpoint and hit them, all the while streaming the attack to Arnold.
The footballer later arrived at the apartment, and his friends stole some of
the teens' belongings, police said
"No one has the right to take the law into their own hands," State Attorney
Suzy Lopez said in a statement. "A dispute over missing property does not
justify kidnapping, violence, or retaliation."
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