TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County, Florida, judge set the bond for Detroit Lions defensive back Terrion Arnold at $1 million Monday after his arrest on eight charges related to kidnapping and robbery, allowing the player to be freed without having to wear a GPS ankle monitor once the amount is posted.
In a three-hour hearing Monday, Christopher C. Sabella, chief judge of the Florida 13th Circuit Court, said he would “reluctantly reject” the state’s request to require Arnold to wear a GPS ankle monitor. The device would have effectively sidelined his NFL career.
None of the other six co-defendants was granted bond. Sabella distinguished Arnold from the others by the fact that he was not present when the alleged kidnapping was taking place in February.
“So, at this stage, I find probable cause, but I don’t find the higher level to grant the state’s motion for pretrial detention,” Sabella said. “So, I’m going to deny the motion, but it’s a serious case. It’s serious crimes that I am finding probable cause of.”
Arnold smiled and nodded as the judge delivered his ruling in court.
The judge ruled that the evidence presented wasn’t strong enough to justify keeping Arnold in jail until trial. Arnold will be allowed to live in his Tallahassee home and participate in practices and training “required” by the Lions. Sabella, gesturing to a handful of reporters in the courtroom, warned Arnold that any violations of his terms would, based on his fame, be scrutinized and make their way back to the court.
The case centers on what happened after Arnold and others had property stolen at an Airbnb in Largo, Fla., about 25 miles west of Tampa. Arnold’s stolen property was valued at $245,000, according to court records.
What wasn’t in dispute Monday: that Arnold suspected two associates — a hired driver named Yan Lopez and a barber friend named Danny Tenesaca — stole the items and that Arnold wanted to confront them about it. The episode ended, according to police, with Tenesaca, Lopez and a third friend being lured to a Tampa apartment where they were beaten, pistol-whipped and robbed. One allegedly had a gun put in his mouth.
Although Arnold wasn’t inside the apartment — he was allegedly en route from Tallahassee when the incident began — the prosecution described him as the “general manager” of the scheme: It was Arnold’s idea to use Jasmine Randazzo to entice Tenesaca with a sexual encounter and to do so somewhere other than a hotel with surveillance cameras.
“It doesn’t get off the ground without him,” prosecutor Kevin Riley said of Arnold.
The defense, led by Colorado attorney Harvey Steinberg, argued that any role Arnold had in the events was much more limited. Steinberg, who has a long history representing professional athletes, said there was no evidence Arnold did anything beyond suspecting that Lopez and Tenesaca stole items from his Airbnb. None of the text messages shown during the hearing were from Arnold.
Arnold, wearing a red uniform that said “Inmate” on the front and “Hillsborough County Jail” on the back, said little during the hearing. He fidgeted at times and acknowledged a thumbs-up from a family member sitting in the first three rows. Arnold embraced his attorneys after the ruling.
If convicted, Arnold faces a potential sentence of life in prison. The trial date and next court hearing have not been scheduled.
Two of the six co-defendants, Randazzo and Arianna Del Valle, pleaded guilty last week to three counts of kidnapping, three counts of robbery with a firearm, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm, court documents show.
Randazzo, 19, agreed to spend four years in Florida state prison with six years of probation for her testimony, according to the plea agreement she signed last week.
The Lions released a statement last week acknowledging “the legal situation regarding Terrion Arnold” but declined to comment “out of respect for the ongoing legal process.”
Arnold, 23, was taken by the Lions in the first round of the 2024 draft after spending three years at the University of Alabama. He started 15 games in his rookie season, but injuries limited him to eight games last season.