LOS ANGELES — The arraignment of Chris Brown was postponed Thursday until April 6 after the 19-year-old R&B singer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom alongside his attorney.
Brown had been charged hours earlier by Los Angeles County prosecutors with two felonies stemming from what a police detective describes as a brutal argument between the singer and his girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, provoked by her discovery of a text message from another woman. He remains free on $50,000 bail.
The felony complaint handed down in court Thursday morning identifies Brown’s alleged victim only as “Robyn F.” Rihanna’s real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
According to a detective’s affidavit, Brown and Rihanna got into a fight while driving together early Feb. 8 after the singer checked her boyfriend’s cellphone and found a text message from another woman.
Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was still wearing her seat belt, Los Angeles police Detective De Shon Andrews wrote. He said Brown pushed Rihanna’s head against the window, punched her with his right hand and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit states. He also bit her on the ear, the affidavit states.
The affidavit was filed as part of a search warrant request for the phone records of Brown, Rihanna and her assistant.
Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a phone message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.
Andrews wrote that Rihanna nearly lost consciousness but also tried to fight back while in the car, at one point trying to gouge at Brown’s eyes.
Brown was arrested hours later and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats.
Rihanna was not present in court Thursday but was represented by an attorney.
The alleged attack came hours before the couple were scheduled to appear and perform at the Grammy Awards. Both were no-shows for the event.
