Crime & Arrests

Caleb Kennedy -- a finalist on the last season of "American Idol" - was arrested Tuesday for felony DUI ... cops say he crashed his car into a building, killing someone inside.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol tells TMZ ... Caleb was behind the wheel of a 2011 Ford pickup truck when the vehicle struck a building on a private drive.

Police say there was a person inside the building who sustained fatal injuries as a result of a collision. Caleb was arrested and charged with felony DUI resulting in death ... and the 17-year-old is still in police custody.

As you can see, photos from the crash scene show a truck lodged into what appears to be a detached garage ... and there's a ton of damage.

SCHP says the crash is under investigation.

You'll recall ... Caleb was one of the final 5 contestants last year on 'Idol' but he exited the show when a video surfaced showing him sitting next to someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan-like hood.

Before his unceremonious exit, Caleb wowed 'Idol' judges and fans with his rendition of Coldplay's hit, "Violet Hill," in what ended up being his final performance on the show.

The Florida home of the 'Island Boys' was the scene of a police raid that led to an arrest in a fatal drive-by shooting of an 8-year-old girl.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... a SWAT team executed a search warrant Monday at the property rented by the TikTok stars, Alex and Franky Venegas. Neither was arrested, but cops nabbed an apparent associate of theirs ... murder suspect Andrew James Thomas.

According to the police report, Alex was home during the raid.

Police say Alex told them Thomas ran toward him in a hallway while holding a black handgun with an extended magazine when SWAT knocked on their door. Alex claims Thomas tried to get him to hide the gun, but he refused.

Alex told officers he saw Thomas run into the laundry room and return without the gun. Police say they found the gun inside the laundry room closet.

Thomas was booked for gun possession and violation of probation for a separate robbery case. We're told he was also booked on a first-degree murder charge in the deadly drive-by shooting of an 8-year-old girl in Palm Beach.

Coral Springs Police Sgt. Ernesto Bruna tells TMZ ... it's not clear if Thomas was staying in the home or just visiting the Island Boys.

The Island Boys' manager tells TMZ ... they had no idea Thomas, who grew up with them, was a suspect in a drive-by shooting.

NFL officials were informed Alvin Kamara was a suspect in a felony battery case by Las Vegas Metro PD prior to the Pro Bowl, but cops and the league allowed the Saints star to still play in the game ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

We're told NFL security was notified several hours before kickoff that police were looking for the 26-year-old running back, but the parties essentially came to an agreement that Kamara would be allowed to play in the game, and cooperate with authorities afterward.

"We got in touch with NFL security about 10 o'clock in the morning and let them know that [Kamara] was a suspect in the case and they located him and he was already on the field," Assistant Sheriff John McGrath told the Nevada Current.

He continued ... "So they contacted him and he agreed to meet with us after the game. And so that's just the way we did it since he was cooperating."

Kamara played ... catching 4 passes for 23 yards.

Waiting to make the arrest seemed to payoff for the police.

After the game, police Mirandized the Saints star at Allegiant Stadium ... where he then spoke with investigators, and gave his side of the story.

Kamara admitted he punched the alleged victim at least 1 time early Saturday morning inside a Vegas hotel after he claims a man made a disrespectful comment to someone in his group.

However, the alleged victim tells a different story. He claims Kamara pushed him for an unknown reason, before Alvin and his 3 friends beat the man down.

Cops say they reviewed surveillance video and the footage showed Kamara punching the man at least 8 times.

Kamara was arrested on 1 count of battery w/ serious bodily injury, a felony.

Nike is distancing itself from soccer star Mason Greenwood ... after the Manchester United forward was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault last week.

20-year-old Greenwood was recently accused on social media of threatening to sexually assault and kill a woman ... and was later suspended from training or playing for his club.

Nike initially paused its deal with Mason at the time ... saying the company was "deeply disturbed by the allegations" and would "closely monitor the situation."

On Monday, the Swoosh took it a step further ... saying, "Mason Greenwood is no longer a Nike athlete."

Man. U said last week the club was aware of the situation with Greenwood and it would launch their own independent investigation into the accusations made against Mason.

"We will not make any further comment until the facts have been established," the club said. "Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind."

Elizabeth Vargas' enraged ex told her she'd be the first, among many, to die as heavily-armed police waited outside and readied the SWAT team for her recovery.

TMZ got this video from inside the former-'RHOC' star's home Tuesday as her ex, Ryan Geraghty, barks at her ... "I'm taking you out, and then everybody else. They can shoot me if they want. I don't give a f**k anymore, I've got nothing to lose."

It's an especially chilling statement because, we're told, armored vehicles and SWAT officers had gathered outside Liz's home Newport Beach home at this point.

Clearly irked that Elizabeth had gotten the police involved, Geraghty says, "Bring the big boys, how f**king dare you."

TMZ broke the story, cops got Vargas out safely, and Geraghty was eventually arrested after an hours-long standoff. Vargas had originally called the cops to report Geraghty for extortion, but things took a turn for the worse when he showed up armed, and made his way inside her house.

We've also obtained footage from after the arrest, showing a police drone making its way through the home to make sure things were clear before SWAT does a final check.

Elizabeth was outside NOBU in Malibu just 24 hours after the ordeal, and told a photog she was happy to be alive ... and was considering buying a gun.

Kat Von D had a frightening night Saturday -- and frightening is a gross understatement -- an intruder was wandering around her house as she and her son slept.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Kat was sound asleep at around 10:15 PM when something awakened her ... she saw a beam of light moving about the house.

Kat took her 3-year-old, dashed out and 911 was called. Police came with sirens blaring and searched the house ... and what they found was shocking.

A man in his 30's was upstairs, just walking around. It's unclear if he knows it was Kat's house or what his intentions were. He told cops he was buying the house and needed to use the bathroom.

Police took the guy into custody ... he was booked for residential burglary.

As for how he got in ... he jumped a fence. It's unclear if he came in through an open door or window, but there were no signs of forced entry.

Actor and "Scandal" star Columbus Short has been arrested once again for domestic violence … law enforcement tells TMZ.

Cops say they were called to a home in the San Fernando Valley Wednesday night around 10:30 PM over a verbal argument between Short and his wife that allegedly became physical.

When police arrived, we're told Columbus claimed his wife punched him in the face ... but he had no marks. Cops say they then spoke to his wife and noticed a minor injury.

Even though we're told the injury did not require medical attention, cops arrested Short for felony domestic violence ... felony because of the injury.

This isn't the first time Columbus has had issues with his wife. Back in 2018, he was arrested for domestic violence and ended up pleading no contest and serving 34 days behind bars.

At the time of that arrest, he was already on probation for a bar fight in 2014. Regarding his latest arrest, Short spent about 12 hours locked up before posting a $50K bond.

He has yet to be charged.

A man has been tracked down and arrested in connection to the SoFi Stadium parking lot fight that left a man hospitalized in a medically induced coma, officials say.

Inglewood mayor James Butts Jr. announced the new development on Thursday ... saying a Montebello man was traced to his home using surveillance footage that started in the SoFi lot.

Butts claims the footage shows 40-year-old Daniel Luna allegedly pushing a man in a Rams jersey from behind. The man who was pushed then retaliated, the mayor says -- shoving Luna and punching him in the face.

Butts says Luna fell to the ground ... and that's where he remained until he was found by a stadium employee.

As we previously reported, officials were criticized for seemingly dragging their feet in sharing the news about the attack ... with some believing it was to prevent a PR nightmare prior to the Super Bowl.

SoFi Stadium released a statement on the beatdown ... saying, "We are aware and saddened by the incident. Our thoughts are with Mr. Luna's friends and family during this difficult time."

"We are working with law enforcement officials in their investigation.''

The 49ers also released a statement ... saying, "What happened to Daniel Luna is reprehensible and we strongly condemn all violence."

"We know local authorities are conducting a full investigation and we're here to support them however we can."

"Our thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Luna, his family, friends, and the medical team providing him care.''

The identity of the person -- and the charges they were booked on -- are not yet clear.

Former NFL DB Captain Munnerlyn -- who started 85 games in his 10-year career -- was arrested last month ... after he was accused of getting violent with a woman.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Munnerlyn allegedly roughed up a woman in North Carolina back on Jan. 3.

In the docs, officials say Munnerlyn struck a female in the face with his foot. They also say the ex-Carolina Panthers cornerback strangled her, resulting in bruises and scratches.

Further details surrounding the alleged incident were not made immediately available ... but the docs show Munnerlyn was arrested and bonded out of jail just days after the allegations were made.

The documents show Munnerlyn was hit with two charges, assault on a female and assault by strangulation. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on March 1, the docs show.

We reached out to Munnerlyn for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

33-year-old Munnerlyn had an excellent career in the NFL after being picked in the 7th round of the 2009 draft. He played in 154 career games for the Panthers and Minnesota Vikings, logging 12 total interceptions, before he left the league following the 2018 season.

Pete Golding -- the defensive coordinator for the Univ. of Alabama football team -- was arrested early Thursday morning for DUI ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Northport Police Department in Alabama tells us Golding -- real name Stephen Thomas Golding -- was arrested at around 1 AM.

According to the rep, Golding was pulled over on suspicion of DUI ... and "probable cause was found" to arrest him. Jail records show he's still in custody.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made available.

Golding has been on Nick Saban's staff at Bama since the 2018 season. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2019 -- and helped lead the Tide to the National Championship games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Golding is considered an ace recruiter who helped Bama land the #2 recruiting class in the country on Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Young Buck got busted in Nashville after allegedly kicking the crap out of his ex-girlfriend's car ... TMZ has learned.

According to the arrest affidavit, obtained by TMZ, Nashville police officers responded to a domestic disturbance Wednesday involving Young Buck and his ex.

Cops say when they got to the woman's home, she told them Young Buck texted her early in the morning that he was coming over. Police say the woman told them Young Buck began kicking the front door when she did not answer.

Buck's ex also told cops she went outside after he bounced and noticed damage to both the passenger and driver side of her car, which was parked in the driveway.

Police say they confirmed there was damage to the woman's car, and there was security footage of the alleged incident.

Not long after, cops say they found Young Buck driving the car he took to the woman's home and he was arrested during a traffic stop.

Young Buck was booked into jail on a vandalism charge ... but he's already out on a $1,000 bond.

Michael K. Williams' overdose death was caused by drug dealers who sold him dope laced with fentanyl ... according to the feds who are announcing arrests in the case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of NY broke the news Wednesday ... saying they had 4 individuals in custody who've been charged in connection with Williams' death last year in Brooklyn.

According to the feds ... a man named Irvin Cartagena made a hand-to-hand transaction with Williams on Sept. 5, 2021 -- allegedly taking cash from the actor and giving him heroin the authorities claim was laced with fentanyl ... which later caused Williams' fatal OD. Law enforcement nabbed Cartagena in Puerto Rico.

Prosecutors allege the exchange between Williams and Cartagena was captured on surveillance video, and posted screenshots they claim show the drug deal going down.

Cartagena is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl and heroin. He's also being charged with causing Williams' death in connection with the narcotics conspiracy.

All told, he could get life in prison if convicted on all charges.

There's more though ... 3 other guys were also arrested and charged -- Hector Robles, Luis Cruz and Carlos Macci, who the feds allege are part of the same drug trafficking org in Brooklyn.

As we reported, Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn home, and his death was later ruled an accidental OD.

Farrah Abraham says she's been a wreck since her arrest for allegedly slapping a security guard at a club ... it's gotten so bad she's had suicidal thoughts.

We got Farrah in Hollywood Saturday where she was packing up her stuff and putting it in a U-haul. She says she's moving out of California ... that's how upset she says she is over the arrest, where she ended up face down in the dirt outside the club.

Farrah tearfully says she now has no body function on her upper right side and she's afraid to go out in public.

TMZ broke the story ... Farrah was having dinner at Grandmaster Records in Hollywood January 15th when there was some sort of confrontation inside and a security guard claims Farrah slapped her. The club made a citizen's arrest and security took the former star of 'Teen Mom' outside while police were on the way, and Farrah ended up in the dirt.

She says she's doing physical therapy and hopes surgery is not in the cards.

Kylie Jenner's not the only one dealing with the fallout from one of her obsessed fans ... because cops say they arrested the same guy at one of her neighbor's houses this time around.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... this week a guy named Jrue Mesgan, who was arrested just last month for showing up at Kylie's place and violating a restraining order, was busted again after entering a home super close to Kylie's place in Bev Hills.

We're told when police arrived, Mesgan was arrested for burglary and taken to jail. FYI ... burglary not only requires unlawful entry ... the criminal must also have an intent to steal or commit some other felony.  Cops aren't saying if Mesgan had such an intent.

Our sources say Kylie's security came over too and recognized the guy ... because he's been to her house on multiple occasions.

Cops sent the case to the D.A. for possible felony prosecution, but the D.A. wasn't into it and sent the case to the L.A. City Attorney, who hit Mesgan with 11 misdemeanors, including trespassing and violation of a court order.

More troubling news for NFL player Damon Arnette ... the former 1st round draft pick was arrested Friday night in Las Vegas after he allegedly threatened a valet with a gun, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 25-year-old cornerback was busted for assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance after a dispute allegedly occurred at the Park MGM on Las Vegas Boulevard.

It's unclear what drug Arnette allegedly had on him.

A witness tells us Damon attempted to retrieve a car without a valet ticket ... leading to a dispute. We're told Arnette pulled a gun, and the police were eventually called.

This is just the latest issue with the former Ohio State star. Arnette was cut by the Raiders in November after a video surfaced appearing to show Damon threatening someone with a gun.

Arnette is also being sued by a woman who claims he hit her car, injuring her, and left the scene of the accident after an October 2020 crash.

After a standout season at Ohio State where Arnette earned 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors, he was the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In 2 seasons with the Raiders, Arnette played in 13 games, racking up 29 tackles. After Vegas cut him, he signed as a practice squad player with the Miami Dolphins.

Damon was recently signed by the Kansas City Chiefs to a reserves/futures contract ... meaning he isn't on the active roster right now, but the team has his rights for next season.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, former NFL tight end, was arrested for misdemeanor assault (domestic violence) and felony harassment on Friday in Washington State, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 29-year-old former 2nd round draft pick was booked into a county jail around 9 PM. He is still in custody, and bail has not yet been set.

The details surrounding the arrest are currently unclear.

According to court records, ASJ was officially booked for "misdemeanor assault/domestic violence" and "felony harassment threats/domestic violence or death threats."

It's not the first time Seferian-Jenkins has been in trouble with the law. He was busted at least 3 times for DUI. In 2020, he cut a deal with officials to defer prosecution on his latest driving under the influence charge ... on the condition he kept his nose clean.

Now, those charges could be pursued once again ... in addition to the new domestic violence charges.

Jenkins was the 38th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft -- going to the Bucs -- after a standout career at the University of Washington. After 2+ seasons in Tampa, Seferian-Jenkins signed with the NY Jets in 2016. In 2018, he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Patriots signed ASJ in 2019 .. but released him before the season started. That's the last time he played professional football.

Seferian-Jenkins had a solid career ... catching 116 balls for 1,160 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

If ultimately convicted, Austin could face years in prison, in addition to a large fine.