One of the men arrested for allegedly attacking rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine at a South Florida gym was identified by police as a high-ranking Latin Kings gang member.
Rafael Medina Jr., 43, was arrested this week on assault and robbery charges in connection with the March 21 attack. His son, 23-year-old Octavious Medina, and 25-year-old Anthony Maldonado were also arrested, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
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The 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was left bruised, bloodied and hospitalized.
What happened to Tekashi 6ix9ine?
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On Tuesday, March 21, 6ix9ine was working out at an LA Fitness in Lake Worth when he was attacked by three men inside the gym's locker room, according to the sheriff's office.
Viral cellphone video showed the rapper on the floor of the locker room while three men kicked him. Another cellphone video showed 6ix9ine appearing to reenter the gym after the attack, with no shoes on and blood dripping down his face.
Court documents said the rapper later told deputies that the suspects also stole his white Balenciaga tennis shoes, iPhone and the key fob to his Lamborghini.
Maldonado was a member of the gym and brought the Medinas in as his guests, the court documents said. Surveillance video shows them heading straight to the locker room and leaving with a pair of tennis shoes a few minutes later.
Who are the Latin Kings?
The Latin Kings was formed in the 1950s in Chicago and is one of the largest Hispanic and Latino street gangs in the world.
Medina Jr., also known as "King Leo," is "a documented Latin King member and has held a position of high rank within the Latin Kings for several years," investigators said in the court documents.
Gang Unit detectives said Medina Jr. is an “Inca” within the Palm Beach County chapter of the Latin Kings. An "Inca" is the "1st Krown" of a chapter and is considered to be the "president."
What was the motive of the attack?
"It certainly appears to be a retaliation case," former Miami-Dade Police Sergeant Luis Cristobal, who has worked on street crimes for roughly 30 years, told NBC6.
Back in 2019, 6ix9ine testified against his own gang, the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, for a reduced prison sentence in a racketeering case.
According to law enforcement, the Bloods and the Latin Kings have "a rich history" of being allies. The two gangs are part of a larger allegiance, the People Nation.
"Just because they are from different gangs or different sets or cliques, doesn’t mean they don’t work together," Cristobal said.
However, the motive for the gym assault remains unclear. The court documents stated Medina Jr. confessed to the attack in a call with an informant.
None of 6ix9ine's injuries were life-threatening, but court documents stated a security guard at his gated community said the rapper was worried the men will continue to hurt him. The three suspects were given bond and put on house arrest.
"This affects future prosecutions of future cases where witnesses may be testifying against different subjects," Cristobal said.
6ix9ine's attorney did not return NBC6's requests for comment Friday.
