Arrested in Lana Del Rey Kidnap Plot: Man With 'Long Rap Sheet'

Orlando police say they found Michael Hunt a block away from her concert venue with a knife, tickets
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 4, 2018 10:00 AM CST
Arrested in Lana Del Rey Kidnap Plot: Man With 'Long Rap Sheet'
Lana Del Rey arrives at the Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden last Sunday in New York.   (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

A scary situation was diffused by the Orlando Police Friday evening right before a Lana Del Rey concert in that city's Amway Center, with Del Rey at the center of it. E! News and CNN report that 43-year-old Michael Hunt was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping with a weapon and aggravated stalking about a block away from the center, allegedly intent on abducting the singer. Per a tweet from the Orlando PD, Hunt had tickets to the show on him, as well as a knife, though they add Hunt never had contact with Del Rey (real name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant).

The police note it was a tip from the public that set them on Hunt's trail, with TMZ noting Hunt had reportedly posted "cryptic and threatening" messages on social media. The site adds Hunt also has a "long, long rap sheet," with at least five prison sentences under his belt. "OPD determined this was a credible threat and worked swiftly to ensure the safety of everyone involved and of everyone who attended the show," the police say in their statement. Del Rey didn't make mention of the incident in her Saturday afternoon tweet thanking Florida for its hospitality. "Orlando! Fort Lauderdale! Miami! Thank you so much for coming out and making those shows totally crazy and keeping the energy high," she wrote. Hunt is being held in the Orange County Jail without bond. (More Lana Del Rey stories.)

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