“I don’t care who your daddy is, I’ll kill you right here.” According to a police affidavit, that’s what a Daytona Beach man told William Roberts III, the son of Rick Ross and Tia Kemp, before hitting him in the head with a handgun.
The suspect, 20 year old Don Roberts III, turned himself in on Oct. 16. He’s facing felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Despite the shared last name, the two men aren’t related.
Court records say it happened around 9:40 p.m. on Oct. 11 near McLeod Avenue and Weaver Street, right by Bethune-Cookman University, where William Roberts used to play football.
He told police he was standing on the sidewalk talking with a woman when a gray BMW or Kia pulled up and Don Roberts stepped out holding a tan handgun.
Police say Don Roberts yelled “That’s what we doing?” William Roberts read that as a reference to the woman, who he said had a prior romantic relationship with the suspect.
After the alleged threat, Don Roberts struck him on the right side of the head with the gun and drove off. William Roberts drove himself home with minor swelling and declined medical attention.
He didn’t contact police until the next day, telling officers he waited because he was in fear. He gave investigators a name and a possible date of birth, then picked Don Roberts out of a photo lineup.
There’s one gap worth flagging. Investigators checked nearby surveillance cameras and found no video of the confrontation, so the case currently rests on the victim’s statement, the affidavit and public court records. Don Roberts pleaded not guilty on Oct. 19 and is presumed innocent.
Online, the story took a familiar turn once 50 Cent showed up. Ross’s longtime rival posted on Instagram, “Damn got the man arrested,” adding, “why he didn’t just call his dad. He probably called the cops for him. LOL.”
He didn’t stop there. 50 offered to help bail the suspect out, shared the booking information and said he’d put attorney Drew Findling on the case.
Tia Kemp responded publicly, escalating the exchange. It’s another chapter in a Ross and 50 Cent beef that has dragged on for years, this time spilling into a criminal case involving Ross’s son.
The timing makes all of this heavier for the family. Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, was arrested Oct. 1 in Miami Beach on charges of felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery tied to allegations from ex girlfriend Jazzma Kendrick. He has denied the claims, pleaded not guilty and posted bond.
For now, attention turns to the courtroom. Don Roberts has asked to be released on a $50,000 bond, prosecutors didn’t oppose it, and a judge is set to rule on Oct. 21.
