Tekashi 6ix9ine Arrested in Dominican Republic Amid Domestic Violence Investigation

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been arrested in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 27-year-old — born Daniel Hernández — was apprehended on Wednesday, Jan. 17, in relation to domestic violence charges, according to Associated Press.

Hernández is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, Jan. 18, where a judge is expected to determine his status while the domestic violence investigation continues. The rapper will either remain in jail or be released on bond.

The Dominican Republic National Police last had a run-in with Hernández in October, when the rapper was arrested on suspicion of assaulting two music producers. Authorities had obtained a warrant to arrest Hernández and he ultimately agreed to surrender to police over the phone.

Hernández has not previously been arrested for charges relating to domestic violence. But in 2019, the rapper admitted to years of domestic violence, spanning from 2011 to 2018, in a cooperation agreement with the government at a pre-trial hearing in New York. Hernández had pleaded guilty to nine federal counts in a racketeering case and was aiming for a reduced sentence.

The rise and fall of Tekashi 6ix9ine was chronicled in a Rolling Stone feature in 2019, prior to this admittance. At the time, with focus on the racketeering charges and the rapper’s involvement with the Nine Trey Bloods prison gang, his then-criminal defense attorney Lance Lazzaro told Rolling Stone: “Danny liked to present the image of being a gangster to sell his music. But my client is not a gangster.”

It is unclear whether Hernández currently has an attorney present in Dominican Republic as he awaits the judge’s decision.