Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker remained at large as of Friday evening, more than 24 hours after Miramar (Florida) Police issued a warrant for his arrest. He is charged with four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Baker’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, issued a statement on Instagram late Friday night in which he referred to affidavits from “several witnesses that . . . dispute the allegations and exculpate our client.” He said his firm’s investigator has had those statements “for some time,” but Cohen did not include them with his statement.
“We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgment,” he said. “Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to a proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of any charges.”
Each count of armed robbery carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison in Florida — 15 years if a semi-automatic weapon was used, as has been alleged against Baker.
Tania Rues, the public information officer for the Miramar Police Department, told Newsday on Friday that “negotiations are taking place” between detectives and Baker’s attorney for his surrender. She also noted that negotiations do not always lead to a voluntary surrender and that if someone charged with such crimes does not turn himself in in a timely matter, there are “other avenues” the police can take.
“It’s a case-by-case basis,” she said of how patient police will be before actively searching for a suspect. “That’s not something we disclose because we’re not going to educate individuals who have arrest warrants on what our procedure will be.”
Arrest warrants were issued for Baker, 22, and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, 27, after they allegedly robbed four victims at a house party late Wednesday night. According to the affidavit, witnesses said Baker held a semi-automatic weapon on the victims and instructed others to collect their cash and watches. One witness also said Baker instructed an unidentified man also involved in the crime to shoot someone who had just entered the house, though there are no charges of any guns being fired.
Dunbar’s attorney, Michael Greco, said he has letters from the alleged victims stating that his client was not involved in the robbery. “All of the affidavits indicate my client is innocent,” Greco told the Miami Herald. Dunbar, like Baker, had not turned himself in as of Friday evening.
In response to Greco’s statement, Rues said the Miramar police have recordings from the victims and a witness saying otherwise and that those sworn statements have not been rescinded by any of the five. The warrant against Dunbar remained active, Rues said.
The Giants will wait to see how the legal process plays out before making any decisions about one of three first-round picks they selected last spring and a player they expected to be a key starting cornerback in 2020.
Baker could wind up on the commissioner’s exempt list at some point. If that is the case, he will not count against the team’s roster limit while he addresses his legal situation. Only Roger Goodell, not the team, can put that designation on a player.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and has been the Giants beat writer since 2008.