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Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold denies connection to kidnapping case
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- Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold denies connection to kidnapping case
An attorney for Terrion Arnold said in a statement Friday, Feb. 27, the Detroit Lions cornerback "had no involvement whatsoever" in a kidnapping and robbery plot he was linked to earlier this month in Florida.
Arnold has not been charged with a crime in the incident, but he was named in court files as an associate of five people arrested in the case. All five remain in jail after a pretrial detention hearing awaiting arraignment on charges that could carry life sentences.
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"Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests," the statement from R. Timothy Jansen, which was forwarded by Arnold's agency, read in part. "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."
The Lions are aware of the matter, but declined comment because of the ongoing investigation.
Boakai Hilton Jr., Lyndell Hudson, Christion Williams, Arianna Del Valle and Jasmine Randazzo face a variety of charges from kidnapping to aggravated battery in connection with an incident that allegedly took place Feb. 4 at an apartment in Tampa, Florida.
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Prosecutors allege Hilton orchestrated the robbery of three men on behalf of Arnold as revenge for two robberies Arnold reported at his rental unit in Largo, Florida.
According to a court filing, Arnold's AirBNB rental unit in Largo was robbed of "designer bags, $100,000 in cash, an $80,000 necklace, and a cell phone issued to Arnold by the NFL" some time before the Tampa robbery. Prosecutors say that the robbery was reported to authorities and that Arnold suspected his driver, Yan Lopez, was involved with the robbery.
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Prosecutors allege Randazzo, a friend of Del Valle, who they characterized as Arnold's girlfriend, "lured" Daniel Tenesaca (a friend of Lopez's) and his friend, Soljah Anderson, into her Tampa apartment, where Hudson and Williams were hiding and armed with a rifle and a handgun.
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The filing alleges Del Valle instructed Randazzo to bring Tenesaca to the apartment, and that Hudson and Williams "took Tenesaca and Anderson hostage in the bedroom, interrogating, beating, and pistol whipping them for the better part of an hour." Lopez later entered the apartment, where the filing alleges "one of the co-defendants stuck the barrel of his firearm into Lopez's mouth [and demanded] he return the stolen property and Arnold's phone."
In his statement, Jansen disputed that Del Valle is Arnold's girlfriend, and said assertions of Arnold's involvement in the incident "are false, misleading, and entirely unsupported by the record."
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) walks off the field after practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
"Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence," the statement said. "He was not involved in the crimes allegedly committed on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.
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"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."
Arnold is the second Lions defensive back involved in a police incident in Hillsborough County in the past two years.
In 2024, police issued a warrant for the arrest of then-Lions cornerback Cam Sutton on one count of domestic battery by strangulation.
The Lions released Sutton a day later , and Sutton later was charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery.
The Lions have a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence.
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Christian Romo contributed to this report.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold denies connection to kidnapping case
