Crime & Arrests

Three Florida teens stole a Maserati and drove at warp speed to elude cops, until the car flipped over and crashed, killing one of the occupants, this according to a new police video.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office released helicopter footage, tracking the teens' every move from start to finish during Sunday's INSANE wreck in St. Petersburg.

In the video, the teens are seen walking up to the parked Maserati and slipping inside the unlocked vehicle, not knowing they're being watched from above. The police were in the area on an unrelated robbery call and saw them acting suspiciously.

The kids take off in the car and drive down the street first at a moderate speed as two police SUVs begin to follow them, trying to pull them over.

Suddenly, the Maserati zooms off, hitting speeds of 123 MPH ... leaving cops in the dust. Over the radio, a sergeant orders the SUV officers not to pursue the fast-moving car.

About 20 seconds later, the Maserati loses control and hydroplanes across the road, hitting a curb and flipping over onto the hood as debris flies everywhere.

15-year-old passenger Mario Bonilla died at the scene. Driver Keondrick Lang, also 15, and passenger Malachi Daniels, 16, were hospitalized. Both are expected to survive.

You can count Ski Mask the Slump God among the rappers who won't stop wearing iced-out chains and jewelry after PnB Rock's murder, but he's taking some precautions and relying on good energy!!!

TMZ Hip Hop chopped it up with Ski Mask Thursday at LAX and asked about his massive chain inspired by the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! manga card game ... which he shamelessly wears while being searched by TSA.

The piece is modeled after a Millenium Puzzle and opens up to reveal his name engraved on a diamond-encrusted globe -- it's nothing short of insane, and totally conspicuous.

Ski Mask says he leaves on all his bling and rings through TSA searches, simply because it'll take too long to put them back on!!!

That being said, the Florida rapper definitely has thoughts on this week's arrests in the PnB case, he and echoes the recent remarks of Roddy Ricch and DJ Drama that L.A. is a dangerous place.

While he's aware of the violence, Ski Mask says keeping good energy typically prevents altercations in his circle ... and he also avoids most trouble by simply not going out at all!

TMZ broke the story earlier this week ... a father and son duo were arrested and charged with PnB's Sept. 12 murder at a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in South Los Angeles.

Of course, Ski Mask went through a similar tragedy when his close friend XXXTENTACION was shot and killed in 2018.

Columbus Short is off the hook in his latest legal battle ... because prosecutors tell us they dropped the charges in his domestic violence case.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... prosecutors reviewed the case and decided not to pursue charges. They wouldn't comment on the specifics of their decision.

Columbus, however, tells TMZ ... "They dismissed the case from what I was told because the prosecutor felt there was no wrongdoing." He goes on to refer to the prosecutor as rational and fair.

He continues, "I knew when I was charged it was stupid but based on past allegations. They jump to the worst conclusion as does the media." He insists he's never abused a woman.

As we reported, Columbus, who's starring in Hulu's "Remember Me," was arrested in February after cops were called to his home over an argument he had with his wife -- one that allegedly got physical.

He was charged with 2 misdemeanor counts ... one for domestic violence and one for child endangerment. At the time, we were told the child endangerment charge was because the alleged incident took place in front of a child.

Gunna is currently making another play at coming home while his criminal case is pending … a move fully supported by Kevin Liles, head of Gunna's label ... 300 Elektra Entertainment.

We caught up with Kevin Thursday in D.C. during the “Rap and the Rules of Evidence” panel … and he doubled down on arguments made to the court when Young Thug was attempting to get placed on house arrest ahead of his trial.

Kevin tells us his longtime allegiance with Young Thug extends down the YSL family tree and he considers him, Gunna and everyone else at the label his “sons.”

Gunna’s attorneys are actively arguing for his freedom in Atlanta for the third time, and Kevin insists Gunna is not a violent offender and shouldn't be locked up!

During the panel discussion, which was powered by The Recording Academy, RIAA and Industry Blackout ... Kevin seemed touched by the earlier convo and got emotional explaining the hardships of YSL's Rico case.

Elon Musk's father fancies himself a real-life Dirty Harry or Rambo-like figure -- he's recounting how he once took out a mob of home intruders ... all by himself.

The way Errol Musk describes the 1998 incident really does sound like a Hollywood action movie -- he and his then 6-year-old daughter, Ali, were in his South African home ... and while she was taking a bath, he encountered 7 armed men in another part of the house.

The 76-year-old told The Sun the gang immediately opened fire on him, but just like in the movies ... he miraculously dodged all the bullets, retreated to a bedroom and grabbed a .357 Magnum handgun.

Errol says his gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, and his very first shot went straight through one intruder's head, and the shrapnel entered another's chest. He says both men were killed. At that point, he says the rest of them fled, but he managed to shoot one more in a hallway.

Completing the scene ... Errol says Ali -- who'd be in the bathtub -- came out after hearing the shootout, and clung to her father's leg. Mr. "Lethal Weapon" says he was acquitted of manslaughter charges for the incident, on the grounds of self-defense.

Errol's heroic tale comes on the heels of Elon recently tweeting a reminder to the world that he and his father are estranged.

The billionaire tycoon said his dad ran out of money in the '90s, and he and his brother financially supported him on the condition that he "not do bad things." Unfortunately, according to Elon, he did do bad things.

Elon's point seemed to be dad isn't keeping up his end of the bargain.

As for Errol's marksmanship ... he says he once won the South African National Defence Force's shooting championships.

The man who was arrested for throwing a bottle at Jimmy Haslam during the Browns' loss to the Jets earlier this month had several questions for cops following the incident, including, "Am I going to jail for a while?!?" ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

Jeffrey Miller was put into the back of a squad car at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sept. 18 after he had been accused of hurling a water bottle at the Cleveland owner during the fourth quarter of the game ... and while officers were handling him, he asked a few things.

First, Miller -- a 51-year-old who lives in Ohio -- said, "Can I call my wife and tell her I'm not coming home?"

He later asked, "I'm being arrested for throwing a water bottle?!?"

In the video, you can hear officers say he was actually being taken into custody for "assault, failure to comply ... and disorderly conduct."

As we reported, cops say they ID'ed Miller as the bottle thrower on surveillance video after Haslam had been seen being hit by the object while he was making his way into a stadium tunnel.

In police documents, officers say Miller failed to stop when authorities initially attempted to detain him. They say when they eventually got him to a police room in the stadium, Miller stated, "It never hit the field."

The Browns have said they are planning to ban the fan from home games going forward.

"Fan, player and staff safety is the top priority in our building and behavior that puts others in danger will not be tolerated," the Browns said in a statement two days following the incident.

A fan at Tuesday night's Nationals game got so upset with a stadium usher that he hit the man in the face -- before biting him.

The wild altercation happened at Nationals Park during the ninth inning of the Nats' loss to the Atlanta Braves ... when several venue staffers appeared to try to boot a fan from his seat.

A video shot by a bystander shows fans near the guy chanting, "Get him out!" over and over again -- but the two staffers were having trouble getting him to leave.

Eventually, another usher came to the area to nudge the man away from his seat ... and that's when things took a violent turn.

You can see in the footage, the fan elbowed the usher in the face two times -- before he seemed to bite the man's hand.

Thankfully, two police officers arrived and separated the men before the situation escalated further.

Video shows the fan suffered a bloody head in the skirmish. It's unclear if the usher was injured.

We've reached out to both police and the Nationals for comment on it all, but so far, no word back yet.

Two men have been charged in connection with an alleged armed robbery that took place in the middle of a church service which was stopped short while two men allegedly jacked some jewelry from the bishop during their live stream.

2 men from Brooklyn -- Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack -- were charged with armed robbery for their roles in the July 24 incident ... according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York on Tuesday.

Peace's statement reads, "As alleged, the defendants brought guns into a place of worship, stealing from two members of the clergy, and terrifying the congregation in the process" ... adding, "to commit such an act during a religious service is incomprehensible."

Peace notes a 3rd suspect is still at large.

The incident was caught on camera during the service's live stream ... showing Bishop Lamor Whitehead stopping mid-service and quickly getting on the ground -- as two men begin to take items off his person.

Whitehead tells TMZ ... "Today is the start of healing. We will let the justice system continue to work as I continue to do what God has called me to do."

The "Riverdale" actor convicted for murdering his mom could end up behind bars with the worst of the worst -- something he and his attorney find gravely concerning, considering he's a puny guy.

Ryan Grantham -- who was sentenced to life in prison in Canada -- is at risk of being brutalized, or worse, if he's forced to serve his time in a maximum security facility ... according to his lawyer, Chris Johnson.

Johnson tells TMZ that Grantham is small in stature and slight in build -- standing a mere 5'2" and weighing about 100 lbs. While the guy is 24, we're told he passes for a teenager ... and looks exactly like the frail characters he's played in movies and on TV.

Johnson is concerned his client could be "physically, psychologically and sexually intimidated" if he's locked up in a max security prison. Basically, he feels Grantham doesn't belong there, not just because of his physicality ... but because, in his mind, the setting for the punishment doesn't fit this specific crime under these particular circumstances.

Johnson tells us his age, size and mental state during this saga should be considered by prison officials -- suggesting even if the crime fits the bill for someone to be thrown in a maximum security prison ... anyone with eyes can see he simply wouldn't fare well.

We're even told the judge who presided over the murder case actually recognized the potential concerns if Grantham ended up in a max security prison, and even recommended a medium security facility.

Thing is, Johnson says the judge has no final say about where he's sent ... it's up to correctional authorities.

Despite Miles Bridges' off-court troubles, LaMelo Ball is pulling for him to make a return to the Charlotte Hornets ... telling reporters he misses his teammate on Monday.

As we previously reported, the Hornets decided not to sign Bridges to a max extension after he was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence earlier this offseason ... after allegedly hitting the mother of his children in June.

Prior to the alleged violent incident, MB was Melo's go-to guy on the court ... so when the All-Star sat down with the media on Monday, he was asked if he's going to miss that chemistry without Bridges this season.

"Definitely miss him," the 21-year-old said.

"Talking to him day and day just seeing what it is, but other than that ... I haven't really heard too much or anything."

Melo says he's pulling for Bridges to make a return to Charlotte ... but added, "Not really tryna throw the negative energy."

"Just keep it positive."

Of course, Bridges was a key piece to the Hornets team -- averaging 20.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season. He's currently a free agent.

Former surfing star Chris Davidson died on Saturday ... after he was allegedly punched in the face in an altercation outside of a bar in Australia.

He was just 45 years old.

Authorities say they responded to a South West Rocks pub at around 11 PM on Saturday after receiving calls about an assault. A man -- reportedly later ID'ed as Davidson -- had allegedly hit his head on the ground following a punch.

According to the officials, when they arrived, they found the man unconscious. They say he was transported to a nearby hospital, but died a short time later.

Police say they've arrested a 42-year-old man in connection with the incident. He has since been charged with assault causing death.

Davidson had initially gained fame in the sport in the 1990s ... and eventually earned a #14 world ranking in 2010.

Surfing legend Kelly Slater mourned his death in a post on his social media page, saying, "Lost another soldier yesterday. #RIPChrisDavo."

"Had many a good battle with this guy," Slater added. "One of the most naturally talented surfers I ever knew."

Surfing Australia called Davidson "an incredibly talented surfer and a true individual in our sport and community."

"Our thoughts go out to his two children, friends and family at this time," the org. added.

The brother of slain boxer Isiah Jones has been arrested and charged with murder ... after prosecutors say he shot and killed the fighter following a dispute earlier this week.

According to officials, Timothy Lyman is accused of getting into an argument with Jones at around 6:20 PM on Monday in Detroit ... before shooting him in the face and fleeing the area.

Authorities say Jones was found unresponsive at the scene and was later pronounced dead.

Lyman was arrested on Wednesday -- and, according to prosecutors, he's now been charged with one count of second-degree murder, and one count of felony firearm.

He's due in court for a hearing in the case later Thursday.

According to Roshawn Jones, Isiah's longtime boxing trainer, Isiah was a "very great father" who "provided for his kids."

"He was a hard worker," Roshawn added in an interview with The Ring after the boxer's death. "Everyone is not perfect in life but he was a good human being. He’d make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym."

Isiah -- a National Golden Gloves winner -- turned pro in 2016, and piled up a 9-7 record.

Roshawn has set up a GoFundMe for the fighter, explaining the money will go toward his funeral and his kids.

Ryan Grantham, known for playing Jeffery Augustine in "Riverdale," has been sentenced to life behind bars for killing his own mother.

The 24-year-old was sentenced Wednesday in British Columbia, Canada Supreme Court -- approximately 6 months after pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge for the death of his mom, Barbara Waite, back in 2020.

Prosecutors say the disgraced actor recorded his confession and the aftermath of the tragic ordeal with his own camera at the time -- in the clip, he admitted, “I shot her in the back of the head. In the moments after, she would have known it was me.”

Justice Kathleen Ker described the case as heartbreaking, tragic, and life-shattering while giving him the sentence.

According to prosecutors, Grantham shot his mother in the back of the head while she was playing the piano at home -- the following day he loaded his car with guns, ammo, Molotov cocktails, and directions to Rideau Cottage -- where Canadian PM Justin Trudeau lives.

Detectives investigating the case say Grantham later confessed he was attempting to kill Trudeau and wrote about his goal in a journal.

The Washington Monument has been vandalized by someone with a bone to pick with the government ... but it's hard to tell which side he's on.

The vandal used some sort of brush to deface the homage to George Washington with this ... "Have you been f***ed by this (with an arrow pointing up). Gov says tough shit."

The culprit, Shaun Ray Deaton from Bloomington, IN, was nabbed at the scene and arrested at 7:30 PM Tuesday night. He's been charged with trespassing, tampering and vandalism.

As for the 555-foot-tall monument ... it's temporarily closed until a cleanup does its thing.

As for the meaning of the message ... who knows? It could be a protest over the very construction of the Washington Monument, which was built by slaves. It could also be a protest over `100 other things ... taxes, abortion, inflation, and on and on.

The family of Hae Min Lee -- who was allegedly killed at the hands of Adnan Syed -- would've been all good with his release ... but they say they haven't seen any solid evidence pointing at anyone else -- at least not yet.

Attorney Steve Kelly, who's repping the Lee family, tells TMZ ... Hae Min's brood simply doesn't think what prosecutors submitted to cut Adnan loose was convincing, adding they don't consider it real evidence that actually points to another killer or killers.

Kelly says the Lee family was told for 20 years by the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office Adnan was their man -- responsible for Hae Min's death -- something a jury at the time agreed with when they convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison.

Now we're told they feel they've had the rug pulled out from under them. Kelly tells us the Lee family would've absolutely consented to springing Adnan out of prison, IF they actually bought the arguments prosecutors made in their recent court motions.

FWIW ... prosecutors pointed to notes and/or letters from at least one potential suspect -- who was apparently known to cops from the jump and who apparently wrote they wanted to make HML "disappear" and "kill her." The problem, according to prosecutors, is the notes were not handed over to AS's defense team during the trial, which is a big no-no because any evidence that potentially exonerates AS should've been handed over.

Not just that, but prosecutors are also now saying a key witness -- Jay Wilds -- gave inconsistent accounts to cops.

Apparently, much of this stuff wasn't disclosed to Adnan's team ... and prosecutors are saying it all warranted throwing out his conviction. As we reported ... a judge agreed Monday and ordered Adnan be cut loose ... although he'll remain on house arrest for 30 days while prosecutors evaluate whether to retry him.

While some say this is significant evidence and more than enough to raise reasonable doubt  ... the Lee family believes there's not enough info to persuade them Adnan should go free.

Tekashi69 is being forced to cough up some serious dough to Fashion Nova, according to a judgment in the company's 2020 suit ... and his bill could skyrocket if the other defendants don't pony up the cash.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show Tekashi agreed to a judgment against him in the amount of $350K, after Fashion Nova alleged he and others walked away with their cash in 2018.

Tekashi agreed he alone is responsible for paying off around $39K of the total.

However, he could wind up paying WAY more ... because if the other defendants -- such as booking and entertainment companies -- don't cough up any of the remaining $311K, Tekashi will remain on the hook to satisfy the full judgment.

Tekashi puts it simply, telling TMZ ... "That's hilarious," laughing at the amount of money he could owe. Unclear why he finds the situation funny ... seems like a big chunk of change.

As we reported, the clothing co. paid Tekashi an advance of $225K for brand promotion in 2018 -- he got locked up 2 weeks later ... making him unable to perform his duties.