Overview:
Haitian influencer Carel Pedre and live-in girlfriend had a disagreement over a sensitive photo that spilled into a Tamarac street, with her chasing him naked, causing neighbors to call for help, the arresting authorities said Monday.
NEW YORK — It all started with a “buttcrack” photo, Broward County authorities said Monday. The domestic confrontation, that is, between Carel Pedre and his naked girlfriend that spilled into a Tamarac street and ended with Pedre’s arrest one day earlier.
Pedre, his girlfriend and a neighbor who called police tell different versions of the altercation in the complaint affidavit that the Broward Sheriff’s Office released to The Haitian Times late Monday. But it all began just after midnight Sunday morning.
Around that time, a neighbor in the 9000 block of Northwest 57th Street in Tamarac, a suburban town in northwestern Broward County, called 911 saying she saw a man choking a naked woman, who was screaming for help. When deputy Juliana Tenaglia arrived at about 12:52 am, she saw Pedre on the block.
He told the deputy that his girlfriend of six months, had “posted an embarrassing photograph of him and his “buttcrack” showing from his pants.” He went into the bedroom, took her phone and left the apartment.
The girlfriend, who was in the nude, chased him out of the apartment, down the stairs and into the street to try to get her phone back. Pedre also told the deputy that his girlfriend “did a flip,” causing bruises on her forearms.
Pedre also locked her out of the apartment, using the front door locking system on his phone.
When Tenaglia and her colleague spoke with the woman, she did not want to say what happened at first, expressing instead that she worried about Pedre’s reputation and children. Later, she told them that Pedre had thrown her to the ground, but he had not choked her.
The Haitian Times is not naming the woman to protect her privacy as a potential victim of domestic violence, per policy.
The neighbor who first called police, meanwhile, told officers that their mother had seen the man throw the woman on the ground and choke her. Then, the girlfriend came to that neighbor’s door screaming for help. The neighbor’s mother declined to speak with the officers.
Based on the allegation that Pedre threw the girlfriend on the ground, the officers said they arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence battery. They handcuffed, searched and transported him to the BSO’s Tamarac District Office at first to be booked. He was then taken to the Main Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Once there, a second charge was added for an immigration hold.
Later Monday, a judge set a $1,000 cash bond for Pedre on the domestic violence charge, according to BSO records. However, he was still being held on the immigration hold , which has a No Bond (NB) designation.
“Right now he’s being held without bond,” BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright told The Haitian Times.
“When you have a no-bond charge, it cancels out any other charges where bond has been set,” Coleman-Wright said. “So he is still with us.”
Details about the immigration hold were not yet available late Monday. Pedre still appeared to be in custody early Tuesday.
Screenshot of Carel Pedre’s arrest record as shown on the Broward Sheriff’s Office site as of 6:25 p.m. on Monday, December 22, 2025.
PPedre is one of the most recognized media figures, with a career spanning over 25 years in radio, television and digital media. Born and raised in Port-de-Paix, Haiti, Pedre rose to prominence as a host on Haiti’s top radio programs and television shows, including Radio One’s Chokarella and Digicel Stars, a major talent showcase. Pedre’s work spans podcasting and media production, and he has been influential in shaping Haitian entertainment and cultural coverage both in Haiti and throughout the diaspora.
When news of the arrest broke, speculation about what may have occurred swirled with allegations about Pedre’s personal life.
A brief search of Pedre’s social media accounts did not reveal a photo of a behind, and authorities did not say where the girlfriend may have posted the image.
Chokarella, the company that Pedre founded, issued a statement Sunday confirming that the arrest occurred.
“It is important to note that an arrest does not automatically result in charges, or does it imply guilt,” the statement reads. “Once Carel is home and in a position to do so, he will speak on his own behalf and share his perspective on what occurred, in his own words, as he has consistently done in the past.”
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