Three arrested in beating attack of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine at South Florida gym

Three men are facing charges in connection to an assault March 21 against the rap artist Tekashi 6ix9ine at a suburban Lake Worth Beach LA Fitness gym.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Thursday arrested Rafael Medina Jr., 43, Anthony Maldanado, 25, and Octavious Medina, 23, on charges of robbery and battery after alleging that the men were involved in assaulting the rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez.

According to an arrest report, Hernandez was in the men's locker room of an LA Fitness along Lantana Road near Florida's Turnpike when the three men came in, assaulted him and stole items from him.

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Locker-room incident left rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine with beaten face

Surveillance-camera video showed Maldanado entering the gym as a member with Octavious Medina joining him as a guest. Medina was seen later seen holding the front door to the facility open, letting in his father, Rafael Medina.

The surveillance video showed the three men enter the locker room and exit after about five minutes, followed by Hernandez showing signs of trauma to his face, the arrest report said. Hernandez was treated at a hospital.

He later told deputies the three men attacked him and stole his white Balenciaga shoes, the key fob to his Lamborghini SUV and an iPhone.

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Hernandez has been the victim of several reported assaults since he cooperated with authorities in a racketeering and firearms case against him and others in 2018.

He faced decades in prison and quickly turned on other members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, meeting with authorities nearly two dozen times and securing a prison sentence of only two years, the Associated Press reported. Many fans and other rappers labeled him a snitch.

Last year, someone reportedly struck Hernandez in the back of his head at a Miami club. The PBSO arrest report indicates that Rafael Medina is a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings gang. A confidential source told investigators that the elder Medina wanted to confess to his involvement in the attack, telling the source that he was in the wrong and overcome by anger.

During a court hearing Friday at the Palm Beach County Jail, County Judge Ted Booras ordered that Rafael Medina be held on $52,000 bail and that he be placed on house arrest upon his release. Booras set Octavious Medina's bail at $22,000. Bail information for Maldonado was not immediately available. All three remained in custody Friday afternoon.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tekashi 6ix9ine: 3 arrested after rapper attack at Florida LA Fitness