LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Singer, songwriter, and musician El DeBarge was reportedly arrested in Los Angeles on Sunday on drug and weapon charges after a late-night encounter with law enforcement officials.
According to TMZ, El DeBarge, whose real name is Eldra Patrick DeBarge, was arrested at approximately 3:40 AM in Burbank, California, after police allegedly observed a collapsible baton in his car during a traffic stop.
Police claimed that after a search of the vehicle, they found pepper spray, drug paraphernalia and a substance suspected to be heroin. DeBarge was also found not to have a valid driver’s license, TMZ reported.
DeBarge was booked on multiple charges, including weapon possession and possession of a controlled substance, TMZ said.
A five-time Grammy nominee, Debarge is best known as the lead vocalist of the family group DeBarge, who scored a string of hits in the 1980s that include “Time Will Reveal”, “Who’s Holding Donna Now”, “Stay with Me”, “All This Love”, and “Rhythm of the Night”.
However, his career was overshadowed by addiction and legal problems and faced multiple arrests for drugs in the last decade, spending 13 months in a California prison in 2009.
In 2010, he mounted a comeback attempt with the release of his solo album “Second Chance” but was forced to cancel all appearances and seek treatment in rehab after a relapse. DeBarge was later able to return to work and made an appearance at the 54th Grammy Awards the following year.
