After arriving four hours late and performing just one song before being booed offstage, rapper Victor "Noreaga" Santiago found himself in the midst of more than just a mob of irate fans last Friday night.

According to Detective Jack Galski, public information officer for the Harrisburg, Penn. police bureau, by the time the rapper showed up at Zembo Mosque on Third and Division Streets where he was to perform, nearly half his fans had left, and the other half "were not happy campers." After being jeered off the stage, Noreaga and his bodyguard made their way to the parking lot, where an angry teenager reportedly threw a bicycle at the artist's Ford Expedition. Noreaga and his bodyguard allegedly retaliated against a sixteen-year-old (it's not clear from reports if the victim was the bike-tosser), hitting him repeatedly in the face. The boy was admitted to a nearby hospital and released, after which he filed misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault against the rapper, who had left the scene.

But as of this morning, due to the injuries sustained by the victim, charges against Noreaga and his bodyguard have been elevated to first-degree aggravated assault, a felony. "The facial and head injuries of the kid showed contusions, and so basically this means that the person did attempt to, or did cause, serious bodily injury," says Det. Galski. "That's a serious charge."

In Pennsylvania, that translates to a maximum of $25,000 and/or up to twenty years in prison, should the assault victim follow through with the charges. "If the juvenile and his parents drop the charges, we may not pursue it criminally, but it doesn't mean the juvenile can't sue [Noreaga] civilly," explains Det. Galski. "If [Noreaga] does the smart thing and turns himself in, it's probably gonna go a lot easier for him." At press time, spokespeople for Noreaga had not yet issued an official statement concerning the charges.

Noreaga is no stranger to life behind bars. He hooked up with his writing partner, Kiam "Capone" Holley, when the two were doing kitchen detail while serving unrelated four-year terms at New York's Greenhaven Prison for attempted murder. After releasing their debut, The War Report, last summer, Capone returned to jail for parole violation, but Noreaga managed not only to follow the straight-and-narrow, but also to carve a niche for himself in the ever-competitive rap world. Recently, Noreaga told imusic.com, "I don't plan to go back to jail. I'm using the knowledge I learned through reading books on every subject to make my life better in this prison without bars."

Whether or not his life will truly be without bars, one thing is certain: Noreaga will have to face the music soon. He's scheduled to show up for a cybercast and live chat tomorrow night in Las Vegas in honor of TheSource.com's launch. Perhaps some men in blue will be there to greet him.

HEIDI SHERMAN