Mario Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting His Mom

R&B star was apparently involved in an altercation early Friday morning in Baltimore.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Mario in police custody
Photo: Baltimore Police Dept.

R&B singer Mario was arrested Friday morning (October 1) for allegedly assaulting his mother. He was taken into custody after police came to the Baltimore apartment the singer shares with his mother, Shawntia Hardaway, who said he hit her. According to The Baltimore Sun, he was charged with second-degree assault and released on $50,000 bond.

According to a statement to MTV News from the Baltimore Police Department, police found Hardaway sobbing in the lobby of their apartment on Fell Street around 12:50 a.m. She informed police that her son, born Mario Dewar Barrett, was in their home "throwing and damaging property" and "started yelling at her and he used his hands and forearms and pushed her in the chest and shoulder area causing minor pain and discomfort." Officers found a smashed mirror and closet door with a hole in it. A china cabinet was also broken and shattered glass covered the floor, the Sun reports.

Hardaway also said Friday's incident was not the first time her son had assaulted her. She told police that Mario had pushed her "eight feet into a living-room wall, where Ms. Hardaway hit her head on the wall," on September 27. She "stated her head still hurts because of hitting the wall" and maintained that she feels her life is in danger.

Although no specific cause has been cited for Mario's behavior, the singer's lawyer, William "Hassan" Murphy III, referenced Hardaway's substance-abuse issues in a statement to MTV News.

"This is an unfortunate incident between a loving son and a mother who continues to struggle with a devastating addiction," Murphy said. "Anyone who has waged the battle to save loved ones from the forces of drugs knows the irrational behavior that almost always accompanies their actions. Despite the allegations, Mario remains committed to supporting his mother."

Mario has had an admittedly rocky relationship with his mother, which he explored in the 2007 MTV documentary "I Won't Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom." In the film, Mario candidly discusses his complex bond with Hardaway, who battles heroin addiction and had declined treatment and experienced several relapses in the past. Mario, known for hits like "Let Me Love You" and "Break Up," stages an intervention for Hardaway, during which he pleads, "I want to give you the gift of life, like you gave me." She ultimately enters a rehab facility in Los Angeles.

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