A former star Tallahassee student athlete turned pro has been named as an associate to five people arrested in a central Florida kidnapping and robbery plot, but his capital city attorney says he was not involved.
An attorney for Terrion Arnold said in a statement Friday, Feb. 27, the Detroit Lions cornerback “had no involvement whatsoever” in the kidnapping and robbery plot he was linked to earlier this month in Florida.
Arnold has not been charged with a crime in the incident. All five of those arrested remain in jail after a pretrial detention hearing awaiting arraignment on charges that could carry life sentences.
“Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests,” according to a statement from prominent Tallahassee defense attorney Tim Jansen that was forwarded by Arnold’s agency. “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.
Arnold made local headlines in 2024 when he became St. John Paull II Catholic High School’s first athlete to be selected in the NFL Draft.
Who was arrested and charged in the case in Tampa?
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.
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.
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.
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.”
“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.
“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.”
Trouble in Tampa
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.
What are Terrion Arnold’s Tallahassee ties?
Terrion Arnold’s path to success from a small Tallahassee private school to the first round of the NFL Draft wasn’t without challenges, according to past reporting in the Tallahassee Democrat.
He changed Tallahassee high schools, fractured his ankle, thought basketball might be his primary sport over football, and did not become a full-time starter at Alabama until midway through the 2022 season.
Still, Arnold never wavered in his commitment to excel.
“If you say something to him, he’s going to remember it, exactly,” family friend and personal trainer Travis Norton said. “He’s a guy motivated by greatness.
“He wants to make a statement that lasts forever.”
Arnold, 21, became one of Tallahassee’s highest selections in the NFL Draft when the Detroit Lions filled their biggest need on defense by moving up five spots in the first round to select Arnold with the 24th overall pick.
Arnold also became St. John Paull II Catholic High School’s first athlete to be selected in the NFL Draft. And he hasn’t forgotten the small, private school in the Southwood area of Tallahassee.
As of 2024, Arnold remained in contact with former and current coaches; serving as a mentor for the football team’s “Big Brother, Little Brother” program, and he built respectful, lasting friendships during his time at the school in the guidance and custodial departments.
Arnold, a 5-star defensive back, the Tallahassee Democrat’s All-Big Bend Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and basketball star at JPII, signed with Alabama in February 2021 over SEC rivals Florida and Georgia.
“Character,” former JPII football coach Ed Hill said of Arnold’s best quality in 2024. “If he says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it. And he’s going to outwork anyone you put in front of him.”
This story includes reporting by Dave Birkett, who covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press, Christian Romo and Jim Henry.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee attorney says Terrion Arnold not involved in robbery, kidnapping plot
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Tallahassee Democrat
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