Cuban reggaeton and Latin trap artist Ovi, legally known as Ovidio Crespo-Retureta, has been arrested following a road rage incident in Miami. The 28-year-old singer, boasting nearly 3 million Instagram followers, faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a controlled substance, NBC6 Miami reports.
The incident unfolded on Monday afternoon along Tamiami Trail near Florida‘s Turnpike. According to the arrest report, per the outlet, Crespo-Retureta, driving an iridescent McLaren, abruptly changed lanes, nearly colliding with another vehicle. The other driver, identified as Giuseppe Benignini, a model, honked his horn in response.
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Benignini alleges that Crespo-Retureta then brandished a firearm, causing him to duck for cover. The model managed to capture video footage of the encounter, which he later shared on social media. In the video, Benignini recounts the incident in Spanish, stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, the singer Ovi took out a gun and threatened me here in Miami. When he pulls the gun out, I dodge and go into the other lane and quickly move up, and he drives up to my side. When he drives up to my side, he takes out the gun again through the window and points it at me like this. I thought he was going to shoot me.”
The footage quickly went viral, garnering over 12,000 likes and 1,600 comments on the Only in Dade Instagram page by Wednesday morning. Benignini later told NBC6, “I was scared to death,” expressing his belief that justice would prevail in the case. He added, “Unfortunately it was him, and now ultimately justice will do what it’s supposed to do. I don’t have a say in what’s going to happen.”
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) apprehended Crespo-Retureta on Tuesday during a traffic stop in Doral. Dashcam footage shows troopers pulling over a black Lamborghini Urus. Upon search, authorities discovered a black Sig Sauer handgun in Crespo-Retureta’s waistband and two Percocet pills in a backpack inside the vehicle. Additionally, two Tasers were found – one on the SUV’s floorboard and another on a passenger, according to CBS News.
The arrest report details that Crespo-Retureta faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, improper exhibition of a firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. He is currently held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $6,500 bond with an immigration hold.
During his court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors sought to restrict Crespo-Retureta’s access to firearms. However, his defense attorney successfully argued against this limitation, and the judge ruled in favor of allowing the singer to retain firearm possession rights, reports NBC6. Born in Cuba, Crespo-Retureta initially studied at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana before relocating to Miami to pursue his music career.
