FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Three men, including the leader of the Palm Beach County chapter of the Latin Kings gang and his son, were arrested Monday in connection with an assault on rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine at an LA Fitness gym in Lake Worth Beach last week, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
They are accused of assaulting the rapper in the men’s locker room, then stealing his phone, his Balenciaga shoes, and the key to his Lamborghini, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The men are Rafael Medina Jr., 43, his son, Octavious Medina, 23; and Anthony Maldonado, 25. They face charges of assault and robbery, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release late Thursday, and had their first appearance in Palm Beach County Court Friday morning.
Detectives later identified Medina Jr. as an “Inca,” or president, of the Palm Beach County chapter of the Latin Kings, according to the affidavit. The Kings have long been allies with the Bloods gang.
6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, gained notoriety within the rap community in 2019 for testifying against the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, his former associates, in exchange for a reduced sentence. The Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods are a subset of the Bloods gang.
About 8:45 p.m. on March 21, Hernandez was involved in the “altercation” at the gym in the 8000 block of Lantana Road, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Surveillance footage from that night showed Hernandez finish his workout and enter the men’s locker room, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Meanwhile, Maldonado signed into the gym with Medina, who then opened the door for his father, Medina Jr., also known as “King Leo.”
The three men walked into the men’s locker room, where the surveillance footage was no longer available.
Hernandez told detectives that the men struck and kicked him. Videos shared on social media depict multiple men beating Hernandez while he lies on the ground beneath the sinks.
“Take a picture, I want to be famous now,” one of them says.
Later, as Hernandez begins to walk away, his face bloody, someone says, “I’m not gonna lie, bro, I’m a fan.”
About five minutes later, the three men exited the room, Medina carrying a pair of white shoes in his hand. Hernandez walked out a few minutes later with face injuries and no shoes on.
“Hernandez’ items were forcibly taken from his person with extreme violence,” the affidavit says. He was taken to Bethesda West hospital for his injuries, and has visible scars. A tow truck took Hernandez’ Lamborghini back to his home because he was afraid the men would find out where he lived and continue attacking him, a security guard told detectives.
Detectives received several hundred anonymous leads, one of which identified Medina and Medina Jr., according to the affidavit. Another anonymous “reliable confidential source” told detectives that they received a phone call from Medina Jr., who said he wanted to confess to the crimes and “got overwhelmed by anger in the situation.”
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