Boxing champion Ryan Garcia faces charges of vandalizing the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Los Angeles, California – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced charges Thursday against boxing champion Ryan Garcia after he allegedly vandalized a Beverly Hills hotel last month.
Ryan Garcia, 25, was arrested on June 8 after allegedly causing $15,000 in damage in rooms and hallways of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Beverly Hills. While there is no specific information about the cause of the incident, TMZ reported that drugs and alcohol may have been involved.
LA County District Attorney George Gascón charged Garcia with one misdemeanor count of vandalism or destruction of property valued at $400 or more. “While we are grateful that no injuries were reported in this incident, the reckless behavior that caused property damage shows a blatant and unacceptable disregard for safety and the peace of our community,” Gascón said. “Our office will work to ensure the individual responsible is held accountable.”Gascón declined to prosecute a second individual arrested at the hotel, citing lack of evidence.
The allegations come as Garcia, once considered a rising star in boxing, faces many other controversies in his professional and personal life. He was recently expelled from the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the sport’s four main sanctioning bodies, for racist comments on social media.
During a livestream, Garcia used racist slurs against black people and made disparaging comments about Muslims. He later apologized and blamed it on substance abuse.
Garcia’s headline-grabbing win in April over Devin Haney for the WBC super lightweight title was later declared a no-contest after he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances capacity. Garcia was suspended for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission due to the positive test.
Now facing legal issues, Garcia will be arraigned in LA County on August 7. Prosecutors said he faces a maximum sentence of one year in county jail if convicted.
