Crime

Pro boxer Jose Benavidez was arrested this weekend for alleged street racing in Arizona.

Benavidez -- who fights as a welterweight -- was busted Saturday night in Maricopa County, where he was taken in and booked for one count of misdemeanor racing/exhibition of speed and one count of driving with a suspended or revoked license (also a misdemeanor).

Benavidez is no longer in custody as of Sunday afternoon, but he stuck around long enough to pose for this mug. The exact circumstances around his arrest remain unclear, but we're working on getting more info. What we do know is that the Arizona Department of Public Safety -- which has state troopers -- is the agency that picked him up.

The guy is a rising star in the world of boxing -- he recently fought and lost to Terrence Crawford, who's a megastar. Crawford retained the welterweight belt after knocking out Benavidez in the 12th round, this following tons of trash talking from Mexican-American fighter.

He reportedly suffered a leg injury about a week ago, and postponed a fight he had scheduled with Luis Collazo on August 17. It was postponed for October of this year.

TMZ Sports has obtained pics of UFC star Jon Jones and his brother Chandler Jones inside  TD's Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque on the night of an alleged incident with a cocktail waitress.

As we previously reported, Jon is being investigated over allegations he slapped a woman's vagina during a wild night out on April 19. The waitress told police Jon had been pestering her for a table dance before kissing up on her neck.

The woman also claims Jon later came up from behind her and put her in a "tight rear naked choke hold" and then lifted her up in the air in what felt like a "wrestling match."

The person who shot the photos tells us Jon was interacting with women all night ... but the witness did NOT see anything that resembled slapping, choking or any of the other violent allegations.

Obviously, that's just one person's perspective -- we're trying to speak with other people who were there that night too. Stay tuned on that.

You can see in the pics, Jon and Chandler were sitting right in front of the stage -- and we're told people inside recognized them. In other words, they weren't trying to lay low.

After Jon and Chandler left the club, the accuser went home and called police. After telling her story to cops, Jones was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Chloe Grace Moretz is now fully protected -- at least legally -- from a man who keeps getting busted by cops for hopping her fence.

Chloe and fam just scored a permanent restraining order, which is supposed to keep the guy away from them for 3 years. The restraining order protects Chloe, her 2 brothers, her sister and her mom. The guy can have no contact -- direct or indirect -- with any of them.

The restraining order replaces the temporary restraining order a judge issued at the beginning of the month.

The guy was arrested outside the actress' Los Angeles home TWICE ... after the guy climbed over their private gate and started banging on windows and doors, trying to gain access to the residence. He got arrested, showed up the very next day, and got busted again.

Aaron Hernandez's estate has struck a settlement with the families of the two men he was accused of killing in a 2012 drive-by shooting, lawyers for both sides confirm.

The former New England Patriots tight end had been charged with murdering 29-year-old Daniel de Abreu and 28-year-old Safiro Furtado outside of a Boston lounge ... but Hernandez was found not guilty at trial.

Prosecutors had argued Hernandez flew into a violent rage after someone accidentally bumped into him inside the bar, spilling his drink in the process.

Hernandez was painted as a homicidal maniac who waited outside the bar for hours for the men to leave and then followed their car down the street ... eventually opening fire and killing them.

But, Aaron's attorneys claimed it was actually the NFL star's friend who killed the 2 men over a drug deal gone wrong.

Days after the acquittal in 2017, Hernandez killed himself inside his prison cell where he was serving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd.

The families of the 2 victims had filed the wrongful death lawsuit against Hernandez while he was still alive -- and the case has been dragging on for years.

While details of the settlement have not been disclosed ... a lawyer for de Abreu’s widow, sent a statement to Boston.com saying it "honors the legacy and memory of Daniel de Abreu, my client’s former husband."

The vandalized billboard has been completely taken down ... that didn't take long.

Quentin Tarantino may have just gotten an idea for a sequel.

Somebody went and messed around with a "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" billboard in Los Angeles Friday -- on the day of the movie's release -- by replacing Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio's face with accused pedophiles Jeffrey Epstein and Roman Polanski.

The vandal retitled the flick -- "Once Upon a Time in Pedowood."

Epstein -- a registered sex offender -- is currently locked up in a Manhattan federal jail for sex trafficking for allegedly exploiting a multitude of underage girls in the early 2000s.

Polanski -- who directed films like "Chinatown" and "The Pianist" -- remains a fugitive from justice in Europe for raping a 13-year-old girl 40 years ago in the U.S.

We're no film critics, but the duo would likely not make for good box office draw.

The actual Tarantino movie stars Leo, Brad and Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate.

Rapper Blueface says the LAPD is full of crap and they lied when they said they swarmed a bunch rappers out of concern for them ... he says it could be racial prejudice.

The man behind the "Bust Down" dance craze was arrested back in February after cops say he was illegally carrying loaded guns in downtown L.A. Cops claimed they had heard there were a bunch of rappers in the area who were carrying large amounts of cash and wearing lots of jewelry.

The LAPD said they went there to actually protect the rappers since there were a bunch of robberies in the area and they feared the rappers would be easy targets. When they arrived, they say Blueface and his crew scattered and tossed their guns.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Blueface calls BS, saying he and his legal team believe the officers who made the arrest may have complaints against them for racial or ethnic prejudice. They also claim the cops may have a history of writing false police reports.

Lawyers for Blueface say the rapper wasn't in possession of guns, and the reason he was singled out is because one of the cops thought he had a nervous look on his face after police heard the clang of guns hitting the concrete. They concede cops say they saw him make "furtive movement toward his waistband."

NFL D-lineman Malik McDowell -- the guy who fought police in a gas station convenience store -- has been ordered to wear a brand new piece of jewelry ... an alcohol monitoring bracelet.

The 23-year-old defensive tackle recently missed a routine alcohol test in connection to his DUI case ... and the judge was so upset about it during Wednesday's hearing, he ordered McDowell to be fitted with a SCRAM device.

The SCRAM -- which stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring -- is usually strapped to the ankle and continuously tests the skin for traces of alcohol in the body.

A bunch of stars with alcohol-related issues have been fitted with SCRAM devices in the past ... from Lindsay Lohan to Tracy Morgan.

We're trying to find out if McDowell is banned from consuming ANY alcohol -- or if there are exceptions.

As we previously reported, the 6'6", 300 pound lineman was arrested back in February after he got violent with a police officer during a routine traffic stop.

In surveillance footage obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see McDowell get physical with the cop ... even after the officer deploys his taser on the NFL player.

Cops say McDowell "had a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from his persons" -- and later said his BAC was .189, more than twice the legal limit.

McDowell was eventually charged with 2 counts of felony assaulting and resisting, 1 misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.

His court date to begin trial -- if the case makes it that far -- is set for late October.

McDowell was a 2nd-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2017 NFL Draft -- but he was released in 2018 ... and hasn't signed anywhere else.

President Trump is sticking up for A$AP Rocky by dressing down the Swedish Prime Minister ... the Prez says he's very disappointed Sweden's leader didn't step in to help A$AP skirt an assault charge.

POTUS just went on a Twitter tantrum against the European nation and its government ... demanding the Swedes give A$AP his freedom and telling Sweden to fix crime in their country.

Trump says he's "very disappointed" Sweden's Prime Minister was unable to act, and he says the inaction has let down the African-American community in the United States.

The Prez claims he's watched the video footage of A$AP's street brawl in Stockholm, which shows him trying to play peacemaker before finally losing his cool and absolutely pummeling his attacker, who has a criminal record.

Trump also rips Sweden for not treating Americans fairly ... and he slams the country for not doing anything to help our citizens when "we do so much for Sweden."

As we reported ... A$AP was officially charged with assault Thursday, and he will remain in a Swedish jail as he awaits next week's trial.

Trump and the State Dept. already tried to butt in on behalf of A$AP before the Harlem rapper was charged, but to no avail.

Maybe Trump's new Twitter salvo will move the needle.

A$AP Rocky has just been charged with a crime after spending weeks in a Swedish jail ... prosecutors just hit him with Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm stemming from a street brawl in the country's capital ... and if convicted he could spend 2 years behind bars.

The prosecutor said A$AP will continue to be held in jail pending a trial ... and the trial date has not been set, although it could be today. A rep for the prosecutor tells TMZ the trial will be held within the next 2 weeks. The prosecutor expects the trial will last 3 days.

Two members of Rocky's crew have also been charged with the same crime and they will also be held pending trial.

The Swedish prosecutor just boasted he had access to more information than people on the internet. He said he's reviewed video and also talked to witnesses, and determined the claims by Rocky and his 2 crew members of self defense and provocation didn't hold water, despite the fact the alleged victim is the one who unrelentingly harassed and attacked Rocky and his crew first.

The prosecutor says he also considered the alleged victim's statement, which he says was supported by witness statements. We're told the alleged victim admits striking A$AP's bodyguard with a set of headphones, but only after the bodyguard lifted him off the ground by his neck, so the prosecutor viewed the headphones attack as self defense. BTW, the lifting by the neck is not on video, and interestingly, if the prosecutor really felt the bodyguard was the aggressor he would have been presumably charged ... and the bodyguard has already been cleared.

The charge has been 3 weeks in the making ... A$AP has been in jail alongside two of his associates since turning himself in to Swedish authorities earlier this month. Prosecutors inadvertently played their hand last week, announcing they were going to charge the Harlem rapper ... and on Thursday the hammer finally dropped.

The only good news for Rocky ... he and his crew will not be charged with Aggravated Assault, a more serious crime which carries a 6-year prison sentence.

As we reported ... the man who attacked A$AP's crew in the streets of Stockholm will NOT be prosecuted for any crime, even though he incited the violence and kept harassing Rocky until he eventually snapped.

In the initial video ... you hear A$AP attempting to diffuse the situation, playing peacemaker and saying no one wants to go to jail.

In video from the street brawl ... A$AP finally loses his cool, throwing his attacker to the ground and absolutely pummeling the guy.

The Swedish justice system is not bowing to pressure from the U.S. government ... with the Prime Minister essentially telling President Trump and the State Dept. to butt out after their attempts to free A$AP.

A$AP's mom thinks Sweden is out to get her son, and she believes it's because he's black ... even though A$AP himself says he won't make race an issue in his assault case.

The man at the center of the A$AP Rocky assault case -- the man who provoked the rapper and even attacked him before A$AP reluctantly snapped back -- was convicted of criminal assault in Sweden 3 years ago.

Mustafa Jafari, Rocky's alleged victim, was convicted of striking a man in his forehead and beating the victim's face back in 2016, when Jafari was 16 years old. It happened on the streets of Stockholm, the very place Jafari harassed and assaulted A$AP and his crew earlier this month.

Jafari was prosecuted and convicted of assault, and his sentence ... 30 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay his victim around $500 in cash.

Jafari was also convicted of 2 minor drug offenses ... one in November 2017 and the other in May 2018. He was ordered to pay a fine for both, but served no jail time.

As we reported, Jafari was the instigator in the A$AP Rocky incident -- he's the guy in the white shirt. Prosecutors have cleared him, claiming he was acting in self-defense.

Jeffrey Epstein was found injured and semi-conscious in his jail cell, and officials are investigating the incident as a possible suicide attempt ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources say Epstein -- who is currently locked up in a Manhattan federal jail for sex trafficking -- was found by guards in his cell Wednesday night with marks around his neck. We're told the circumstances leading up to his injuries are currently unclear, but one possibility is Epstein tried to kill himself.

We're told Epstein is expected to survive.

NBC New York -- who first reported the story -- says one law enforcement source tells them it's possible he may have been attacked by another inmate. The report also says another source claims Epstein may have self-inflicted the wounds around his neck in order to get a jail transfer.

Epstein was denied bail on July 18 and is currently awaiting trial ... no trial date has been set.

The registered sex offender is accused of exploiting a multitude of underage girls in the early 2000s. Most recently, investigators found through a search warrant a fake passport and a massive stash of cash at one of Epstein's properties.

One of R. Kelly's live-in girlfriend is looking a lot like her old self on social media -- which has her family incredibly encouraged they can get her back.

Azriel Clary -- one of the singer's girlfriends, who's stood by his side to this day -- has been popping up A LOT on social media after being a relative recluse prior to R. Kelly getting re-arrested on new federal charges. The 180 has her family hopeful.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Azriel's immediate brood has been seeing flashes of the daughter they once knew in recently-surfaced Snapchat videos and other clips that show Azriel dancing, trying on clothes, laughing ... and acting like a normal person again.

A lot of these videos appear to be filmed inside R. Kelly's Trump Tower apartment in Chicago -- where Azriel and Joycelyn Savage are presumably still staying -- but the fact that she's getting out there again (in a sense) is giving her fam hope R. Kelly's losing his grasp over her.

We're told Azriel has maintained this entire time that she's had a phone and has been on social media, but the fact is ... she seems to be getting on it a lot more now that R. Kelly's not around. She's been posting content about 4 to 5 times a day.

There's also this ... we're told some of Azriel's old friends have been reconnecting with her on social media, which is yet another sign she's coming back.

Meek Mill is getting a second shot at justice -- his 2008 gun conviction was just thrown out ... and he's being granted a new trial AND a new judge to re-fight the charge.

A panel of judges handed down their decision Wednesday in Pennsylvania Superior Court -- saying Meek does in fact deserve a new trial, with a new jury ... and most importantly a new judge who ISN'T Judge Genece Brinkley ... who many believe had it out for him the first time around.

Meek celebrated the decision on social media, writing ... "As of right now I’m not on probation and I am not a felon anymore," adding a bunch of praying hands. He went on to say, "today was mega!!!"

As we reported, the key witness in the case turned out to be a dirty cop. Even the prosecutor wanted a new trial -- especially after Meek was released from prison over a year ago -- but Judge Brinkley wouldn't budge. This time around, a panel of 3 judges who were not previously involved in the case unanimously made the decision to throw out the conviction.

You'll recall ... Meek has been through the ringer over the past two years in Philly. He was thrown back in prison back in the fall of 2017 after Judge Brinkley found that he'd violated his probation on at least two occasions from recent arrests ... one for allegedly getting into a fight at an airport, and another for reckless driving.

Despite both cases being dropped, Judge Brinkley found that the arrests alone were violations of his probation from his '08 case ... and harshly sentenced him to a 2-4 year prison sentence.

Meek was locked up for a little while -- with many people fighting for his freedom from the outside -- until finally in April of 2018 ... he was cut loose by the Supreme Court of PA, which overruled Judge Brinkley, who refused to let him out. He walked out of prison and straight to a Philadelphia 76ers game right afterward, with his entire journey documented from helicopter.

Meek just said, "I'd like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court judges for their wisdom and their transparency in reviewing my case, unanimously overturning my conviction and granting me a new trial. The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I'm ecstatic that justice prevailed."

He goes on ... "This positive outcome wouldn't have been possible without the support of my family, my attorneys, Jay Z, Desiree Perez, Michael Rubin, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and my supporters who have stood with me through the ups and downs."

Meek makes it clear, not everyone is this lucky ... "Unfortunately, millions of people are dealing with similar issues in our country and don't have the resources to fight back like I did. We need to continue supporting them. I'm committed to working with my team at the REFORM Alliance to change these outdated laws and fix our broken criminal justice system."

Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has been a stalwart in the fight to overturn the conviction, says, "In this case although justice was delayed it was not denied!"

Three adults at the center of an all-out melee at Disneyland this month have been hit with a bunch of criminal charges ... and one of 'em could do serious time if convicted.

The fight erupted in Toontown -- right in the middle of throngs of kids and families. You hear one of the people in the fight say, "I'm ready to go to jail tonight." That person seems to also reference a Southern California gang.

Just before the fight breaks out, you hear someone in the video talk about disrespecting family. You see a woman spit on the guy in pink and all hell breaks loose.

One of the people charged -- 35-year-old Avery Robinson (the guy in pink) was hit with 5 felonies for allegedly beating up his girlfriend. He's charged with domestic battery and assault with a deadly weapon.

And, since his kid was in the middle of the fight, along with 3 other children, he's also been charged with child abuse and endangerment.

And, it doesn't end there. Disneyland's security ordered Robinson out of the park and he allegedly tried hitting a Disneyland's employee with his car and threatened to kill his sister and her husband.

He faces upwards of 7 years in prison.

Channing Tatum is now legally protected from a woman who broke into his home and squatted there for more than a week.

The woman made herself comfortable in Tatum's crib for 10 days back in June ... and on Tuesday a judge ordered her to stay 100 yards away from Channing, his estranged wife, Jenna Dewan, and their child, Everly. The intruder can't make contact with them either. Channing's current girlfriend, Jessie J, is NOT one of the protected parties.

As we reported ... one of Channing's personal assistants discovered the woman making herself comfortable at Channing's home while he was out of town. His assistant performed a citizen's arrest until cops were able to arrive and take her away.

Authorities say the woman had some personal belongings in the crib. Channing acknowledged the woman had paid him a visit before, claiming she knew him.

Attorney Blair Berk was in court on Channing's behalf, as Tatum is currently in London. Berk provided an email that the woman sent, in which she claimed that she had a relationship with Channing, and that she believed he communicated with her via music.

Bodybuilding superstar Shawn Rhoden -- the reigning Mr. Olympia -- just turned himself in to authorities in Utah and pled not guilty to multiple felony rape charges, TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, Rhoden -- who goes by Flexatron -- is accused of raping a female bodybuilder during a hotel encounter back in Oct. 2018.

According to court docs, Rhoden's accuser claims Rhoden forced himself on her inside his hotel room - and despite repeated pleas to stop, he refused. She claims he eventually stopped and let her leave the room.

Authorities conducted a thorough investigation and eventually charged Rhoden with felony rape, object rape and forcible sexual assault.

Now, Rhoden's attorneys say the bodybuilder voluntarily turned himself in to authorities Tuesday  -- after negotiating his bail to be reduced from $750k to $250k.

Shawn's lawyers say he "vigorously denies the charges" and "looks forward to being cleared of these false accusations in court."

Jail records confirm Rhoden was formally arrested and booked. The 44-year-old is listed at 5'10" and 265 pounds.