Pop Culture
Daytona Beach police say a 20-year-old told Rick Ross' son "I don't care who your daddy is" before striking him with a handgun.
Don Roberts III turned himself in on Oct. 16 on felony aggravated assault and aggravated battery charges. Complex reported he pleaded not guilty on Oct. 19 and asked for a $50,000 bond, which prosecutors agreed to, with a judge set to rule at a hearing Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. 50 Cent said on Instagram he would help bail him out.
By Crime Talk Network Staff Writer ·
The suspect's name is not printed the same way. WESH and Complex call him Don Roberts III. WFTV's story, carried on Yahoo, calls him Don Roberts II. The booking listing shows Don Roberts, 20. Despite the shared surname, WESH and Complex report police documents identify the two men as unrelated. WFTV also noted that 50 Cent's post does not show that the lawyer he named has joined the case, or that the suspect has been released. The outcome of Wednesday's bond hearing had not been reported when this story published.
William Roberts III, the son of rapper Rick Ross, told Daytona Beach police he was attacked near Bethune-Cookman University around 9:40 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2026, according to police records reported by TMZ, WESH and Complex. Complex reported he was standing on a sidewalk near McLeod Avenue and Weaver Street with a woman when a car pulled up and a man got out holding a tan handgun. Police say the man asked, "That's what we doing?" and then said, "I don't care who your daddy is, I'll kill you right here," before striking him on the right side of the head with the gun and driving off. Complex reported Roberts described the car as a gray BMW or Kia. WESH reported Roberts told police he believed the confrontation was about the suspect's past romantic relationship with the woman. WFTV reported the police report described minor swelling, that Roberts declined medical attention, that he later picked the suspect out of a photo lineup, and that city cameras did not capture the attack. Complex reported he waited until the next day to report it because he "was in fear."
Police identified the suspect as Don Roberts III, 20, of Daytona Beach. WESH and Complex reported he is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, both felonies, and Complex reported he turned himself in on Oct. 16. The booking listing for Oct. 16 shows those two counts. Complex reported he pleaded not guilty on Oct. 19 and asked to be released on a $50,000 bond, that prosecutors agreed to the request, and that a judge would make the final decision at a hearing Wednesday, Oct. 21. WFTV reported he was expected in court Wednesday afternoon. A plea of not guilty and an agreed bond request are filings. The bond figure is not set until a judge rules on it.
The case drew a celebrity response. WFTV reported that hours after its first story Tuesday, 50 Cent posted on Instagram mocking Rick Ross, questioning why his son went to police instead of his father, offering to bail the suspect out, and saying he was sending Atlanta attorney Drew Findling. WFTV reported the rapper called the case a "big misunderstanding," and that the post does not establish that Findling has formally joined the case. WFTV also reported William Roberts III is listed on Bethune-Cookman's 2025 football roster. Complex noted Rick Ross faces his own case after his Oct. 1 arrest in Miami Beach on felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges, which he has denied. The Daytona Beach counts are accusations from a police affidavit. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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