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EspañolLast week, two men with potential ties to Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold were arrested in Tampa on charges including armed robbery and kidnapping. Earlier this week, a judge mentioned Arnold several times in a court order detaining another man who allegedly orchestrated an effort to recover property that had been stolen from an Airbnb that Arnold had rented.
Earlier today, Arnold's lawyer issued a statement insisting that Arnold had "no involvement whatsoever" in the alleged crimes.
In a seven-page decision issued on Tuesday, Hillsborough County Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy concluded that Boakai Hilton was the alleged mastermind of the plan to lure the suspected thieves into an apartment where they were allegedly held and beaten.
As explained by Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, Arnold filed a police report on February 3, following two robberies in which thieves allegedly stole high-end bags, guns, jewelry, a cellphone, and $100,000 in cash.
In his order, Murphy wrote that the armed robbery and kidnapping resulted directly from "Arnold and his friends" deciding to "take matters into their own hands."
"While traveling in a car with Arnold back from Tallahassee, Hilton orchestrates the ambush," Murphy explained.
Arnold has not been charged or arrested. Still, Murphy's order clearly connected Arnold to the incident. In it, Murphy wrote that Arnold hired a man named Yan Lopez to serve as Arnold's private driver. The robberies happened while Lopez was working for Arnold and his friends.
From the order: "Arnold began to suspect that Lopez may have had a hand in the burglaries. And though they had reported the theft to . . . authorities, Arnold and his friends decided to take matters into their own hands."
The order also contended, based on text messages, that a woman named Arianna Del Valle (Arnold's girlfriend, per Murphy's order) instructed Jasmine Randazzo to lure the suspected thieves to her apartment, to (per Murphy's order) "act as bait . . . with promises that Arnold and his friends would pay Randazzo for doing so."
Once the suspected thieves were inside, they were allegedly pistol-whipped and held at gunpoint.
From the order: "There, one of the defendants stuck the barrel of his firearm into Lopez's mouth, demanding he return the stolen property and Arnold's phone. Before the victims left, the co-defendants took their phones and wallets. This was all done ostensibly to get Lopez [and two others] to admit that they stole the property from the AirBNB, which they never do. . . . Text messages between Del Valle and Randazzo show that Del Valle has been instructed to hold the victims in the bedroom until '[T]errion [a]nd Boakai [Hilton] and Fredo [another friend]' arrive at the apartment complex."
Here's the full statement issued by Arnold's lawyer, R. Timothy Jansen:
"I represent Mr. Terrion Arnold in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals on serious felony charges.
"To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests. He did not participate in, nor was he present for, any conduct related to the alleged offenses. There is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Mr. Arnold in any way.
"In fact, after direct communication with the lead prosecutor, it has been confirmed that no charges have been filed against Mr. Arnold in connection with this matter.
"Recent media coverage has referenced an Order issued by Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy, which improperly suggests Mr. Arnold’s involvement in the incident. That same Order also incorrectly identifies Ms. Devalle as Mr. Arnold’s girlfriend. Both assertions are false, misleading, and entirely unsupported by the record.
"Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence. He was not involved in the crimes allegedly committed on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.
"We strongly urge members of the media to refrain from perpetuating inaccurate or speculative narratives. The facts are clear, and they do not support any claim of wrongdoing by Mr. Arnold."
Obviously, Jansen is advocating for Arnold. Murphy's order nevertheless says what it says. Arnold is connected to the situation, even if there's no evidence that he was directly involved in the effort to recover the stolen property via allegedly illegal means.
If, as Bianchi reports, Arnold filed the police report regarding the thefts, Arnold had a clear interest in getting his things back. Common sense suggests that Hilton and others allegedly acted without Arnold knowing about it, or that they allegedly acted with Arnold aware of what was happening. Put simply, Arnold either knew what was happening or he didn't.
Again, Arnold has not been accused of any wrongdoing. But the case has expanded from two defendants last week to five. It's possible that the authorities will attempt to squeeze the current defendants into implicating Arnold, despite his lawyer's insistence that Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the situation.