Former Buc arrested, accused of stalking

By JUSTIN GEORGE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2007

---

U.S. Marshals and Boston police arrested former Bucs defensive end Chidi Ahanotu on Thursday at a Boston seafood restaurant.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had awarrant out for Ahanotu, 36, who lives on Harbour Island and is head of Magellan Entertainment, a Tampa promotions and event company, since Sept. 13. He is accused of stalking his ex-fiance. Sheriff's records say she once lived with him.

Between Aug. 1, 2006, and Sept. 13, Ahanotu repeatedly sent text messages to her cell phone threatening her life, a Sheriff's affidavit said. Also, records say, he repeatedly went to her home and maliciously damaged her property.

In text messages, Ahanotu indicated he suffered from "post NFL aggression," which he was taking out on his ex-fiance, sheriff's officials said.

On July 30, Tampa Fire Rescue officers involuntarily committed Ahanotu for mental evaluation under the Baker Act after Hector Nieves, Magellan Entertainment's director of operations, called police, records show.

Nieves, who had received suicidal text messages from Ahanotu, told paramedics his friend was depressed because his children's mother was suing him for full custody.

Emergency workers forced their way into Ahanotu's home and found him leaning on the kitchen counter, surrounded by an empty vodka bottle and boxes of over-the counter medicines.

Ahanotu, who last played for the Bucs in 2004, grew verbally belligerent, and officers handcuffed him to a stretcher for his safety, according to police records. He told police he swallowed some pills and drank because he was depressed.

Justin George can be reached at (813) 226-3368.