Declyn “Dex” Lauper, the son of singer Cyndi Lauper, was arrested on a stolen car charge in New York City Thursday morning. Lauper, 24, was arrested after he illegally double-parked a 2014 Mercedes-Benz in Hamilton Heights, police said, reports the New York Post. The rapper was attending a memorial service for an aspiring rapper who was fatally stabbed earlier this week.
After police found the Mercedes illegally parked, they performed a computer check, which found it was reported stolen, police said. Lauper was charged with a felony count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was released with a desk appearance ticket, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.
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Police found the car’s license plates beloved to a different vehicle, police told TMZ. The vehicle’s VIN matched a Mercedes-Benz reported stolen two years ago. Lauper was in the driver’s seat when police arrested him.
On Sunday, police told the New York Postย that Lauper was attending a memorial service for Ethan Reyes, a 14-year-old aspiring rapper who was fatally stabbed during a fight on a subway platform on July 9. Reyes performed under the name “Notti Osama.” Police arrested a 15-year-old in Reyes’ death, but the suspect’s name was not released because of his age.
Lauper posted about the media coverage of his arrest on Instagram. “Say what you want about me, but keep my mother’s name out [of] your mouth,” he wrote in one Instagram Story post. “I couldn’t have asked God for a better mother.” He also posted his latest music video, adding the caption, “No time for TMZ I just want some privacy I just want some time for me!”
Lauper is the only child of Cyndi and her husband, David Thornton. He is a rapper with over 2.3 million followers on Instagram and has acted under the name Declyn Thornton. In 2012, he voiced a character in a Bob’s Burgers episode. His mother has not publicly commented on his arrest.
When Lauper began his own music career, Cyndi told the New York Postย she was not advising him. “When you’re a teenager, you’re not looking for advice from your parents โ you want to do your own thing,” the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer said. “It’s hard for any kid, especially when you have famous parents. So I never talk about anything I ever did in my career. You don’t want to live in anyone’s shadow โ you need to make your own shadow.”