Rapper Silento arrested in LA and Santa Ana for alleged assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- The rapper known as Silento was arrested for alleged domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon in two separate incidents in as many days in Orange County and Los Angeles, authorities said.

The rapper, whose real name is Richard Lamar Hawk, was taken into custody on Friday by Santa Ana police after a report of a domestic disturbance in the 100 block of MacArthur Boulevard, authorities said. He was booked and released on a charge of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.
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The following day, Hawk allegedly went to a random home in the 12700 block of Burbank Boulevard in Valley Village while wielding a hatchet. According to the LAPD, he entered the strangers' residence while searching for his girlfriend. The homeowners and their children were home at the time and were shaken by the intrusion but unharmed, investigators said.

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Hawk was arrested by Los Angels police officers about a block away from the resident and later charged by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Using the stage name Silento, Hawk rocketed to fame in 2015 when his hit single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" topped the charts. The song inspired a dance craze at the time, along with countless social media videos of fans performing the individual dances.
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"Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" has since been viewed more than 1.7 billion times on YouTube.