Defense lawyers challenged the victims’ claims as a judge cited text messages in ordering detention.
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa detectives say an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping at a Tampa Palms apartment may have been driven by a dispute over missing high value property reported stolen days earlier from a Largo rental home that was being rented by Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, according to testimony presented in court.
The claim came during pretrial detention hearings for two men accused of being the armed attackers, as lawyers argued that early evidence is built on competing stories and secondhand accounts. A judge said he was not deciding guilt but ruled that text messages and other exhibits shown in court supported the state’s request to hold the men without bond on some charges. The investigation is still expanding, with detectives saying more suspects may be involved and authorities still working to determine what happened to the property reported missing from the Largo home.
Court records described by investigators place the Tampa incident on Feb. 4 at an apartment inside the Eagles Point at Tampa Palms complex. Detectives said three men went to the apartment after being lured there by two women, identified in the case as Jasmine Randazzo and Ariana Del Valle. Investigators said the situation changed when one of the men entered a bedroom, searched for one of the women and opened a closet. A warrant said two armed men were inside and immediately confronted the visitor. A detective told the court the suspects struck the men and threatened them at gunpoint, describing a prolonged assault that involved pistol whipping and other intimidation. The detective said one victim had a gun forced into his mouth during the confrontation.
Investigators identified the two alleged gunmen as Lyndell Hudson and Christion Williams. The detective said the men demanded property, portraying the apartment encounter as an attempt to retrieve items the suspects believed belonged to them. Hudson and Williams appeared in Hillsborough County court Tuesday morning, where the state asked for pretrial detention. Lawyers for the defendants argued the case was not as clear as prosecutors suggested. Hudson’s attorney pointed to the fact that Hudson was not named in the initial warrant and said the state had not shown enough proof that his client planned a kidnapping or even knew what would happen inside the apartment.
The hearing also pulled in an earlier set of theft reports that detectives said may explain why the suspects believed they were owed property. The detective testified that, a few days before the Tampa case, two thefts were reported from a home in Largo that was described as a short term rental. The home was being rented by Arnold at the time, the detective said. The detective testified that high value items were reported stolen, including high end bags, guns, a cellphone and $100,000 in cash. He told the court Hudson was part of Arnold’s security team and Williams was believed to be Arnold’s cousin, linking the suspects to the athlete’s circle in a way that defense lawyers later disputed.
Defense attorneys focused on credibility, arguing investigators were choosing between dueling accusations. Hudson’s attorney asked the detective if the same alleged victims in the Tampa apartment case were also accused of stealing from the Largo rental. The detective said that, in the suspect’s account, they were. The lawyer argued that both sides were pointing fingers and that the court should be cautious about accepting the victims’ version of events when the case was still new. The detective agreed the case included hearsay at this stage, as is common early in an investigation, but said the state’s exhibits helped show what happened inside the apartment.
Hudson’s attorney also challenged the state’s description of injuries and timing. The lawyer said the alleged beating was described as lasting about 1.5 hours, yet the defense said there were no injury photos shown and no reports of anyone going to a hospital. The lawyer argued there was a long delay in reporting the incident, saying the victims did not contact police until hours later. The defense suggested the delay mattered because it allowed time for the alleged victims to talk and align their statements. Lawyers also told the court that Hudson and Williams have no prior criminal history, asking the judge to consider release conditions instead of detention.
Chief Judge Christopher Sabella said he understood the defense concerns and acknowledged that much of what he heard was hearsay. But he said exhibits shown in court, including text messages, appeared to support the detective’s account and indicated an incident that lasted about an hour and a half. Sabella said the standard at a detention hearing is not the same as at trial and stressed that he was not deciding guilt. Still, he said the messages were compelling enough, when paired with the detective’s testimony, to grant the state’s motion for pretrial detention and to deny bond on some charges.
Hudson and Williams are facing charges that include robbery with a firearm, kidnapping with possession of a firearm and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Detectives said other suspects may have played a role, but were not identified during the hearing. The investigation also appears to have two tracks: the Tampa apartment case and the Largo theft reports. Authorities have not said whether anyone has been arrested in connection with the Largo thefts, and investigators have not publicly explained where the reported missing items may be. Police have said they are still gathering information about what was taken and how that dispute may have led to the Tampa confrontation.
The mention of Arnold became a flashpoint after the hearing. A representative for Arnold responded and disputed key relationship claims that surfaced in testimony, saying Hudson was not a security guard for Arnold and that Williams was not Arnold’s cousin. Investigators have not accused Arnold of wrongdoing in the Tampa case, and no account presented in court placed him at the apartment during the alleged kidnapping. For now, his name sits in the background as detectives sort out whether the suspects’ motives were tied to the Largo rental theft reports or to another dispute involving the victims and the defendants.
As of Tuesday, Hudson and Williams remained detained under the judge’s order on some charges, and detectives said they will keep pursuing additional suspects and any missing property tied to the Largo reports. The next milestone will be future court dates where prosecutors must move beyond early testimony and present more direct evidence.
Author note: Last updated February 18, 2026.