Don Roberts (Daytona Beach)
Introduction
Don Roberts, a 20-year-old from Daytona Beach, Florida, is the man police say pistol-whipped William Roberts III — the son of rapper Rick Ross — outside Bethune-Cookman University on October 11, 2026, after shouting “I don’t care who your daddy is, I’ll kill you right here,” according to the New York Post and Daytona Beach-area news reports citing the arrest report. Roberts turned himself in on October 16 and was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, both felonies; the Post reported he was being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on no bond. He pleaded not guilty three days later, per reports. He is not related to the victim, despite the similar names.
Background Information
Little public information exists about Roberts, who was 20 at the time of his arrest and had no reported public profile before the case. According to the victim’s account to Daytona Beach police, reported by NBC 6 South Florida and WFTV, the confrontation grew out of a woman: William Roberts III told officers he had been talking to a young woman on the sidewalk when a car pulled up, and that he believed the driver was upset because she and Roberts had a past romantic relationship. Investigators, per those reports, have not detailed any other connection between the two men, who share a surname but are unrelated.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Roberts faces two felony counts — aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon — over the alleged October 11, 2026 pistol-whipping of Rick Ross’s son in Daytona Beach. He turned himself in on October 16 and pleaded not guilty on October 19, per reports. The charges are allegations; nothing has been proven in court, and Roberts has made no public statement reported by the outlets covering the case.
The alleged encounter happened around 9:40 p.m. on October 11 near the intersection of McLeod Avenue and Weaver Street, close to the Bethune-Cookman campus, WFTV reported. Per the arrest report as described by WFTV and NBC 6, William Roberts III was standing on the sidewalk talking with a woman when a gray BMW or Kia passenger car pulled up; the driver got out “started yelling, ’that’s what we doin,’” and came at Roberts III with a gun in hand. He pointed the tan-colored handgun at the 21-year-old and delivered the threat that gave the story its headlines — “I don’t care who your daddy is, I’ll kill you right here” — then raised the gun and struck Roberts III on the right side of his head, causing minor swelling, the reports state.
The gunman did not fire; he got back in his car and drove off, per the Post’s account of the police report. William Roberts III — who the outlets note is the son of Rick Ross and Tia Kemp — did not call police that night: he drove home and reported the attack the following day, telling officers he had been in fear, NBC 6 reported. He told police he did not need medical attention. City camera footage reviewed by investigators did not capture the incident, WFTV reported, so the case rested on the victim’s photo-lineup identification: investigators arranged a photographic lineup, the victim picked out Roberts, and officers obtained an arrest warrant. Roberts turned himself in on October 16, five days after the encounter, per Hoodline and NBC 6.
The case landed in a family already in legal headlines: the Post noted the alleged attack came just weeks after Rick Ross — born William Leonard Roberts II, no relation to either man in this case — turned himself in to Miami Beach police on October 1 to face battery charges in an unrelated domestic case, with a court appearance set for October 22. The New York Post’s own headline reduced the accusation to its most quoted line, framing the suspect’s words as the story: “I don’t care who your daddy is.”
Public Reaction and Consequences
The story ricocheted through hip-hop media within days, with XXL, Baller Alert-adjacent outlets and Florida TV stations all carrying the arrest report’s details, and the Post picking it up on October 21. 50 Cent — Rick Ross’s longtime rival — seized on the case on Instagram, writing “Damn got the man arrested… why he didn’t just call his dad. He probably called the cops for him. LOL,” before following up “What’s his name, get me his info I’m bonding him out!” and saying he would put defense attorney Drew Findling on the case, per XXL; Tia Kemp, the victim’s mother, dissed 50 Cent in response, the outlet reported. The celebrity sparring made the 20-year-old suspect’s name a trending talking point days before his first bond hearing.
Current Status
Roberts pleaded not guilty to both felony counts on October 19, 2026, three days after turning himself in, with his bond hearing scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, per Hoodline’s account of Daytona Beach reporting; the Post reported he remained held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on no bond as of its October 21 story. The charges are unadjudicated allegations — an arrest and a not-guilty plea are not findings of guilt — and Roberts has not publicly commented through counsel or otherwise, per the outlets covering the case.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Before October 2026, Roberts had no public footprint beyond a common name; he is now a named felony defendant in one of the week’s most viral crime stories, his booking photo circulated in coverage framed around a rap beef he has no reported part in. If convicted on both counts — third-degree-adjacent felonies carrying years in prison under Florida sentencing guidelines — the 20-year-old would face a steeper record than the alleged street argument that produced it. His bond hearing on October 21 will determine whether he waits for trial in jail or out.
Sources
- NY Post, “Rapper Rick Ross’s son pistol-whipped in Florida: ‘I don’t care who your daddy is’,” Oct 21, 2026 — source
- @nypost trigger tweet, Oct 21, 2026 — source
- WFTV Channel 9, “Rick Ross’ son says man pistol-whipped him, threatened to kill him,” Oct 20, 2026 — source
- Hoodline, “Rick Ross’ Son Pistol-Whipped Near Bethune-Cookman, Suspect Charged,” Oct 20, 2026 — source
- NBC 6 South Florida, “‘Don’t care who your daddy is’: Rick Ross’ son pistol-whipped in Daytona Beach, police say,” Oct 20, 2026 — source
- XXL, “Man Arrested for Allegedly Pistol Whipping Rick Ross’ Son,” Oct 20, 2026 — source