St. Petersburg rapper Rod Wave choked ex-girlfriend while kids in house, arrest affidavit says

An arrest warrant that became publicly available this week in the case against St. Petersburg rapper Rod Wave accuses him of choking his ex-girlfriend while their two children were in the home.

The rapper, whose real name is Rodarius Marcell Green, 23, faces a felony charge of domestic battery by strangulation in connection with the incident, which occurred April 24, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Deputies responded to the Osceola County woman’s home that day after receiving two 911 calls in which the woman said Green had entered her home and become physically aggressive with her.

The woman, whose name is redacted in court records, told Osceola deputies she had been asleep in her bed when she heard the front door open and Green entered her bedroom. He choked her until she couldn’t breathe, according to his arrest affidavit, and accused her of talking to other men. He then left her home in his sport utility vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Green came back a second time and accused the woman of taking his cellphone, deputies said. He kicked storage shelves near the front door and grabbed two photos off the wall, throwing them on the front porch and sidewalk, court records said. He then drove off.

The woman told deputies she had dated Green for about four years and they had two children together. The children were in their own bedroom when the incident occurred, she said.

The victim had a scratch located “near the left center of her neck,” the arrest affidavit said. She declined medical assistance. Law enforcement took photos of her injuries and conducted a check of the area, but could not find Green.

Green was arrested during a traffic stop in St. Petersburg about a week later. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail on $5,000 bail on May 3. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge. A lawyer for Green declined to comment on Wednesday.

The rapper grew up in St. Petersburg’s Cromwell Heights neighborhood. He began developing his musical career in high school, and in 2018 he signed with startup label Alamo Records, which was later acquired by Sony. In 2020, his song Heart on Ice became popular on TikTok and broke the Billboard Hot 100.

Green also had a high-profile arrest in Atlanta about two years ago. Police said Green punched a promoter after narrowly avoiding serious injury on a stage that collapsed during a performance. He faces a misdemeanor battery charge in the incident. The case is still pending in court.

Need help?

If you are in immediate danger from domestic violence, call 911. The Florida Coalition of Domestic Violence can be reached at 800-500-1119 or via TDD at 800-621-4202. Here’s how to reach Tampa Bay’s domestic violence agencies for help:

Hillsborough County: Call or text The Spring of Tampa Bay’s 24-hour crisis line at 813-247-7233 or visit online at thespring.org. The TTY line is 813-248-1050.

Pasco County: Contact Sunrise of Pasco County via its 24-hour hotline at 1-888-668-7273 or 352-521-3120, or go online at www.sunrisepasco.org.

Pinellas County: Contact Community Action Stops Abuse, or CASA, by calling the 24-hour hotline at 727-895-4912, texting casa-stpete.org/chat or visiting casapinellas.org. The TTY line at 727-828-1269.