Terrion Arnold named in Florida court order tied to alleged Tampa robbery and kidnapping
Detroit Lions cornerback terrion arnold appears by name in a Florida court order that links him to an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping in Tampa after an Airbnb he had rented in Largo, Fla., was burglarized twice.
Judge details alleged plot in seven-page order
In a seven-page order filed Feb. 24 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy granted the state’s request to hold Boakai Eugene Hilton, 23, without bond in State of Florida v. Boakai Eugene Hilton. The order says Hilton faces three counts of kidnapping to harm or terrorize and three counts of robbery with a firearm — each charged as a first-degree felony punishable by life — and that Hilton pleaded not guilty at the hearing held Feb. 24.
How the court says the incident unfolded
The judge wrote that the alleged plot followed two burglaries of an Airbnb Arnold had rented in Largo, which the order says resulted in the loss of $100, 000 in cash, an $80, 000 necklace, designer bags and a cellphone issued to Arnold by the NFL. The order states Arnold had hired Yan Lopez as a private driver to transport him and friends to and from the rental.
Allegations of luring, interrogation and violence
Murphy wrote that text messages and victim statements show Jasmine Randazzo lured Daniel Tenesaca to her apartment after he expressed romantic interest in her, and that Arianna Del Valle — identified in the order as Arnold’s girlfriend — instructed Randazzo to act as bait with promises of payment from Arnold and his friends. When Tenesaca arrived on Feb. 4 with Soljah Anderson, the judge wrote, Lyndell Hudson and Christion Williams confronted them in a bedroom closet while armed with a rifle and a handgun.
The order says the victims were held in a bedroom for about an hour, interrogated, beaten and pistol-whipped. Lopez, who the order says had remained in a car, later entered the apartment and was pistol-whipped and taken into the bedroom; the judge wrote that one co-defendant placed the barrel of a firearm in Lopez’s mouth while demanding the return of the stolen property and Arnold’s phone. The order states there is no evidence the victims were involved in the Airbnb theft.
Texts, FaceTime and an alleged ambush while traveling
Murphy wrote that text messages presented at the pretrial detention hearing show Hilton “orchestrates the ambush” while traveling with Arnold back from Tallahassee, Fla., and that Hilton appeared to coordinate the attack through a group chat. The order recounts messages asking whether a co-defendant had a gun and instructing Del Valle to record the encounter on FaceTime so Hilton could see and hear what was happening. Texts also instructed co-defendants to seize the victims’ phones and keep them in a bedroom corner until “terrion [a]nd Boakai [Hilton] and Fredo” arrived at the apartment complex.
Arnold not charged; lawyer issues denial
Online court and police records in the order indicate Arnold, 22, has not been arrested or charged in connection with the Feb. 4 incident in Tampa. The order notes that Arnold called the Largo Police Department at 10 p. m. ET on Feb. 3 to file a police report about the stolen money and items. Arnold is described in the order as a 2024 first-round pick out of Alabama who has started 22 of 24 games for Detroit.
R. Timothy Jansen, a lawyer for Arnold, said that “Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests, ” adding that he did not participate in or was present for any conduct related to the alleged offenses and that there is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Arnold.
One defendant ordered held without bond; next steps unclear
The court order granting pretrial detention for Hilton cites evidence the judge described as consistent across text messages and victims’ accounts, and the order directs that Hilton be held without bond. The next court date or additional proceedings are unclear in the provided context.
