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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