Popular Haitian media personality Carel Pedre was arrested in Florida on Thursday. His mugshot and arrest record quickly spread online. The 45-year-old is being held in Broward County on a domestic violence charge.
Why Was Carel Pedre Arrested?
Police in Tamarac, Florida, arrested Pedre. The specific charge is one count of domestic violence. Authorities have not released further details about the incident. The Tamarac Police Department is handling the investigation.
Pedre is currently in the Broward County Main Jail. He had a court hearing scheduled for Friday, December 22. A source told The Haitian Times his bond could be set between $1,000 and $2,500.
Who is Carel Pedre?
Carel Pedre is a major figure in Haitian media. He is from Port-de-Paix, Haiti. His career spans 25 years as a radio host, TV personality, and producer.
He first worked at Radio Planet Kreyol and Radio One Haiti. He became widely known as the host of the reality shows Digicel Stars and Ayiti Deploge. His radio show, Chokarella on Radio One, was especially famous. The show played a key role in sharing news during Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.
Pedre is also a businessman. He founded the digital media platform Chokarella. He helped launch PleziKanaval, a site covering Haiti’s carnival. He is the artistic director for the record label Soley Sound. For his earthquake coverage, he won the 2010 Humanitarian Shorty Award and a Change Maker Award.
Public and Company Reaction to the Arrest
News of his arrest has caused a strong reaction in Haiti and online. Social media users are split. Some people made jokes about the mugshot. Others defended Pedre, saying he is innocent.
One Facebook user wrote, “No one will believe that Carel raised his hand on a woman.” Another person asked, “What has Carel gotten himself into?”
His company, Chokarella, released a statement on December 21. It confirmed the arrest but asked the public not to rush to judgment. The statement said an arrest does not mean guilt. It expressed faith in the justice system. It also said Pedre will tell his side of the story when he is released.
The statement read: “We have full confidence in the justice system… Once Carel is home… he will speak on his own behalf.”
The case continues to develop as more people react to the viral mugshot.
