Three Men Arrested in Florida Gym Beating of Tekashi 6ix9ine

Three men were arrested on Thursday (March 30) and booking into the Palm Beach County jail in connection with an assault on rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine earlier this month. According to the Associated Press, Rafael Medina Jr., 43; Octavious Medina, 23; and Anthony Maldonado, 25, were arrested on robbery and assault charges in connection with their alleged attack on the rapper on March 21 at an LA Fitness in Lake Worth, Florida.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the men were jailed on Thursday night after they allegedly beat the 26-year-old “TROLLZ” rapper (born Daniel Hernandez) in an incident caught in a cellphone video. In the clip, two of the men are seen descending on Hernandez, who is laying on the floor of the gym’s sauna area trying to defend himself as one of the men repeatedly kicks him.

Lawyer Lance Lazzaro told a Florida TV station that Hernandez suffered cuts to his face and bruises in the incident and was hospitalized. “Employees heard the disturbance and the perpetrators fled,” Lazzaro said. “Police in South Florida were called and he [Hernandez] was transported via ambulance to a local hospital.”

Lazzaro told TMZ several men began attacking Hernandez — who did not have any security with him — without warning, with police and EMS responding to the scene before transporting the rapper to an undisclosed hospital.

The site posted pictures of Hernandez’s swollen, bloodied face and reported that he also suffered injuries to his back, ribs and jaw. At press time Lazarro could not be reached for comment on the incident. In the video, a bald man can be heard saying, “take a picture, I’m gonna be famous now,” as he grabs Hernandez by the hair while another man kicks him.

Gil Kaufman

Billboard