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Lions CB Terrion Arnold mentioned in texts tied to assault case
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- Lions CB Terrion Arnold mentioned in texts tied to assault case
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold's name was mentioned repeatedly in a text message thread prosecutors allege was part of a kidnapping and assault plot that's led to the arrest of six people in Florida.
Arnold was mentioned by his first name nine times in messages shared with the Free Press under a Freedom of Information Act request. The messages were turned over to defense attorneys this week as part of the discovery phase of a case against four men and two women who face life in prison for the February incident in Tampa.
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Arnold has not been charged with a crime and has denied involvement in the case through his attorney , though police continue to investigate the incident.
Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold signs autographs at the end of the joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at the Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park, Thursday, Aug. 14 2025
"His expectations are he's not going to be charged," Arnold's attorney, Tim Jansen, told the Free Press on Thursday, March 26. "He hasn't been charged and I haven't seen these text message but they obviously have them and they haven't charged hm. The fact that he knows some of these people is hardly evidence he committed a crime and we believe he's not going to be charged."
Arnold was not a recipient and did not send any of the 281 messages that appear in the 101-page document, which starts with a simple text from one co-defendant to the other: "here".
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Prosecutors allege that Boakai Hilton orchestrated the robbery and beating of three men on behalf of Arnold, who suspected one of the men was involved in the robbery of $100,000 in cash, an $80,000 watch and cell phone from Arnold's rental unit in Largo, Florida.
Arnold's rental unit allegedly was robbed twice before the incident in Tampa.
Hilton, Arianna Del Valle, Jasmine Randazzo, Lyndell Hudson, Christion Williams and Freddie Hughes all face at least eight felony counts of kidnapping with a firearm, robbery with a firearm, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Hudson and Williams also face charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
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All are being held in jail without bond and have pleaded not guilty, though assistant state attorney Justin Diaz indicated in a pretrial detention hearing for Hughes on Thursday, March 26, that two of the defendants have since confessed to their roles in what prosecutors allege was a case of street justice.
Del Valle, who prosecutors have painted as Arnold's girlfriend – Arnold's attorney disputed that characterization in his statement proclaiming Arnold's innocence – texted Randazzo at 8:57 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2026, instructing her to "text" one of the alleged victims of the crime "n ask him what he is doing later".
"rn thts it", she wrote in another message seconds later, followed by, "thts wht terrion said".
According to prosecutors, Randazzo, a friend of Arnold's girlfriend, "lured" Daniel Tenesaca – a friend of a man who occasionally served as Arnold's driver, Yan Lopez – 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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Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (6) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
In a court filing, prosecutors allege 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 eventually entered the apartment and was confronted by Hughes.
In the text message thread released Thursday, Del Valle told Randazzo to "try to get him yo come over tonight" and "don't be suspicious" in doing so.
Randazzo asks, "for what", and "who u w".
Seconds later, Del Valle replies, "terrion". Then adds, "js do it", and "its for them".
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At one point later in the thread, Randazzo asked, "why he want him over there". Del Valle replied, "they tryna set him up", followed by, "nd he tryna pay us for it".
"wow", Randazzo said. Adding in her next text, "y tho?"
Wrote Del Valle, "they stole all the rest of their shu".
In the thread, Del Valle wrote, "so he js gave me 500$', and 11 minutes texted, "ion kno how much he paying u but he payin u too".
The two also talked about deleting their text messages in the thread, and Randazzo asks at one point, "did they actually pistol whip the [expletive?]"
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Jansen said Tampa police "did a thorough investigation" of the incident "and they've charged everyone in the case and who have they not charged? Terrion."
"No witness puts him in the house," Jansen said. "There's no evidence he participated in any way and merely knowing people is not sufficient to charge somebody."
Attorneys for Del Valle and Randazzo did not respond to phone messages seeking comment Thursday.
The Lions previously said they were aware of the incident but declined further comment.
Arnold, a first-round pick by the Lions out of Alabama in 2024, had an injury-shortened season last year, playing in eight games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. The team is counting on him to play a significant role on defense this fall.
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Arnold's name also appears once in a separate 27-page text message thread between five people that began around the time of the alleged incident and includes instructions like, "Get the phones," and "Turn the camera around."
Prosecutors allege Hilton asked Del Valle to capture the event on FaceTime. Arnold is not alleged to have been in the apartment during the event.
In the second text thread, Hilton wrote, "SAY WHY WAS TERRION PHONE IN MIAMIU."
Jansen said in a statement emailed to the Free Press by Arnold's agent that he has "not yet been provided with the text messages in question, and it would be inappropriate to comment on isolated excerpts without first reviewing them in their full context."
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"We are aware that law enforcement has conducted an extensive investigation, as reflected in the 49-page criminal information," the statement read. "Notably, our client has not been charged, and based on the evidence currently known, we do not anticipate that any charges will be brought against him.
"Any suggestion of involvement appears to rest solely on the fact that our client is acquainted with certain individuals connected to this matter. Mere association does not constitute participation in criminal activity. Importantly, there is no evidence, nor any witness testimony, indicating that our client had any involvement ."
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: Lions CB Terrion Arnold mentioned in texts tied to assault case
