Detroit Lions release Terrion Arnold after Tampa kidnapping, armed robbery arrest
Bond set for NFL player charged in robbery case
The Detroit Lions have released cornerback Terrion Arnold hours after he appeared in court on charges related to an armed robbery and kidnapping in Tampa. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was released from the team nearly a week after he turned himself in for his alleged role in a targeted Tampa kidnapping and armed robbery.
The Detroit Lions made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday afternoon.
This comes the same day that the 23-year-old, who faces multiple felony counts stemming from a February attack, appeared before a Hillsborough County judge.
Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold sits in a Tampa courtroom for a pre-trial detention hearing.
Criminal investigation
The backstory:
Investigators say the incident began after luxury items worth over $250,000 were stolen from a Largo Airbnb Arnold rented on Feb. 1. Believing he knew who was responsible, Arnold and another man allegedly coordinated a targeted ambush, according to police.
Teens attacked
On Feb. 4, investigators said three teenage victims were lured to an apartment in the 14000 block of North 46th Street. Two men ambushed the teens inside a closet, holding them at gunpoint and pistol-whipping them during a live-streamed assault, according to investigators.
Co-defendants face charges
By the numbers:
Six other suspects were previously arrested in February and March in connection with the targeted assault. Two of the co-defendants, Arianna Del Valle and Jasmine Randazzo, pleaded guilty last Wednesday.
Pictured: Six other suspect arrested in the Tampa armed robbery and kidnapping case.
Additional suspects identified
What they're saying:
The other suspects arrested include Lyndell Hudson II, Christion Williams, Boakai Hilton Jr., and Freddie Hughes. They face varying charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Arnold granted bond
What we know:
A judge granted Arnold a $1 million bond Monday but ordered him to remain confined to his home except for work and legal appointments. The defense successfully argued against GPS monitoring, stating a tracker would be unsafe on the football field.
Arnold was the only defendant in this case that was granted bond.
What they're saying:
On Monday, the state argued that although Arnold wasn't physically involved in the alleged attack, he was behind the original plan to confront the victims.
"The only reason that this plan or this act gets off the ground is because of Mr. Arnold," state prosecutor Kevin Riley said.
The prosecutor said that according to statements from some of the co-defendants, Arnold allegedly told them to get one of the victims to come over and to press him about the stolen belongings. When questioned by the judge, the state admitted that its case depends on the credibility of those co-defendants.
The other side:
At his pre-trial detention hearing on Monday, Arnold's legal team focused on the evidence that they claim the state doesn't have.
"Do you have any text messages from him?" Arnold's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said "Zero. Do you have any text messages that suggest Terrion says to hit them, to shoot them, to beat them, to do anything to him? You have zero. Zero. Nothing."
Steinberg said Arnold had a reason to be suspicious that one of the victims stole their belongings, because Arnold's stolen phone was tracked to Miami around the same time that one of the victims was also in the south Florida area.
"The only evidence and the only thing they're showing is, 'Hey, I think we should confront them,'" Steinberg said. "That's a crime?"
The judge sided with the defense, denying the state's motion for pre-trial detention.
"What distinguishes Mr. Arnold from those other six, is he has no hands-on, he never goes into the apartment, there's nothing on his phone, on his social media, on his texts," Chief Judge Christopher Sabella said.
Unanswered case details
What we don't know:
Team officials with the Detroit Lions have not confirmed why Arnold was released. FOX 13 reached out to Arnold's management team on Monday afternoon for a comment on his release from the Lions.
Officials also have not yet confirmed the identities of the individuals who stole Arnold's personal property from the rental home. It remains unclear when Arnold will next appear in court.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Tampa police records and court proceedings, which explained how investigators linked the NFL player to the targeted assault, as well as statements from defense attorneys and prosecutors.