Rapper Rick Ross, legal name William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested in Miami after a woman accused him of striking her and restricting her breathing during an alleged domestic‑violence incident at his Star Island home in August.
Ross voluntarily surrendered to Miami Beach police on Thursday and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 6:10 a.m. He faces one felony count of battery by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of battery.
The allegations stem from an Aug. 28 incident reported to police on Sept. 29. The woman, who had been in a relationship with Ross for about a year, said he became angry after she was tagged in an Instagram photo, slapped her, struck her several times in the chest, grabbed and twisted the collar of her hoodie, and later grabbed her ponytail, slammed her against a wall, struck her face, and attempted to spray her with a shower head.
Police received a sworn statement, timestamped photographs of injuries, and reviewed surveillance footage from the residence. Ross posted a video on Instagram Stories denying the accusations, calling them fabricated. His attorney, Bradley Horenstein, also rejected the allegations and urged the public to allow the legal process to unfold.
Ross appeared by Zoom in Miami‑Dade bond court on Thursday. Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause, set his bond at $5,000 ($4,000 for the felony and $1,000 for the misdemeanor), and issued a stay‑away order barring contact with the alleged victim, ordering him to stay away from her home, workplace and school. He was also ordered to surrender firearms and prohibited from possessing them while the case is pending. Ross is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 22.
