In a major update, Ryan Garcia’s hotel vandalism case from an incident on June 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills has officially been dismissed. The charges stemmed from footage showing a shirtless Garcia being taken into custody on suspicion of felony vandalism after allegedly damaging property in his hotel room and hallway. However, his attorney, Michael A. Goldstein, confirmed the charges were dropped on Tuesday.
Garcia, 26, was facing legal trouble after causing approximately $15,000 in damages at the luxury hotel. However, he promptly reimbursed the hotel, and the Waldorf Astoria chose not to pursue the matter further. His legal team expressed gratitude for the professionalism of the Beverly Hills Police Department and the court for dismissing the case. Goldstein mentioned that Garcia had been under significant stress at the time, having just learned about his mother’s serious health issues.
Co-counsel Darin Chavez also commented on Garcia’s progress since the incident, emphasizing that fans can expect to see a “new and improved” version of the star fighter. Chavez added, “We’ve all seen a much different Ryan over the last few months, and we can’t wait for the world to see version 2.0 of Ryan as he begins the second chapter of his career.”
Garcia, currently serving a one-year suspension for testing positive for ostarine, has hinted at an exhibition bout in Japan this December. While he’s ineligible to compete in a sanctioned fight until April 2025, Garcia is preparing for a strong return, with hopes of turning a new page in his career following his no-contest ruling from the April 20 fight against Devin Haney.
Read more about the vandalism case here.
Image Credit: ESPN