DETROIT – Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold denied any involvement in an alleged kidnapping and robbery that took place Feb. 4 in Tampa, Florida.
Arnold was not arrested and has not been charged in the case, his lawyers said in a statement on Feb. 27.
“I represent Mr. Terrion Arnold in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals on serious felony charges.
To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests. 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.
Recent media coverage has referenced an Order issued by Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy, which improperly suggests Mr. Arnold’s involvement in the incident. That same Order also incorrectly identifies Ms. Devalle as Mr. Arnold’s girlfriend. Both assertions are false, misleading, and entirely unsupported by the record.
Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence. 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.
R. Timothy Jansen, Esq."
R. Timothy Jansen, Esq.
A Hillsborough County Circuit Court order filed Feb. 24 in Florida v. Boakai Eugene Hilton lays out allegations that the alleged kidnapping and robbery were carried out in retaliation for a reported burglary of an Airbnb in Largo that Arnold had rented.
Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy’s seven-page order, entered Feb. 24, granted the state’s motion for pretrial detention for defendant Boakai Hilton on three counts of kidnapping to harm or terrorize and three counts of robbery with a firearm.
Murphy wrote that evidence presented at a detention hearing included text messages, victim statements, and video.
The order says those materials show Hilton orchestrated an attack after an Airbnb rental linked to Arnold was burglarized twice, with items allegedly taken including designer bags, $100,000 in cash, an $80,000 necklace, and an NFL-issued cellphone reported stolen.
According to the order, investigators say Arnold hired Yan Lopez as a private driver to transport him and others to and from the rental.
The judge wrote that Arnold and friends suspected Lopez might have been involved in the burglaries and “decided to take matters into their own hands.”
The order describes a plan in which co-defendant Jasmine Randazzo allegedly lured victim Daniel Tenesaca to an apartment, and Arianna Del Valle, identified in the order as Arnold’s girlfriend, instructed Randazzo to act as “bait” with promises of payment from Arnold and his friends.
Murphy wrote that when Tenesaca arrived with Soljah Anderson, Lyndell Hudson and Christion Williams confronted them in a bedroom closet while armed with a rifle and a handgun.
The victims were allegedly held for about an hour, interrogated, beaten, and pistol-whipped.
The order says Lopez was pistol-whipped and taken to the bedroom after entering the apartment, and that one co-defendant placed a firearm barrel in Lopez’s mouth while demanding the return of stolen property and Arnold’s phone.
The victims’ phones and wallets were allegedly taken before their release, and the order states there is no evidence the victims were involved in the Airbnb theft.
Murphy wrote that Hilton communicated through text messages and a group chat, asking whether a co-defendant had a gun and directing Del Valle to video the encounter on FaceTime so he could see and hear what was happening.
The judge quoted texts that reportedly instructed co-defendants to seize victims’ phones and keep them in a bedroom corner until “terrion [a]nd Boakai [Hilton] and Fredo” arrived.
The judge found the state met its burden of showing a “substantial probability” that Hilton committed the alleged offenses and said no bail conditions would reasonably protect the community or the integrity of the investigation.
Local law enforcement arrested five people in connection with the case; their names and formal charges were included in court filings. Arnold’s name appears in the court documents, but again, he is not charged.
Arnold, 22, was a first-round pick by the Lions in 2024 and is considered one of the team’s top cornerbacks heading into the 2026 season.
Local 4 has reached out to the Detroit Lions for comment.
Injury
Arnold missed the final stretch of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury that he had surgery on back in December.
The second-year defensive back was placed on injured reserve per the team’s injury report on Monday (Dec. 1) and was expected to miss at least the team’s next four games.
Arnold had missed two games earlier this season with a shoulder injury that many believed had ended his season.
It is not clear whether the procedure is to repair the same shoulder.
Arnold was active for the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game loss to the Green Bay Packers after clearing concussion protocol and suffered a shoulder injury in the matchup.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide star was selected with the 29th pick of the 2024 season by the Lions, who traded up five spots with the Dallas Cowboys, who just so happen to play each other on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 14.
With the Lions, Arnold’s career has been seesawing due to his aggressive play, which has led to flags being thrown his way a time or two.
But Arnold had found his footing this season before the injury occurred.