Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra arrested

Greg Risling

Former NBA superstar and Newport Beach resident Dennis Rodman was

arrested Friday morning at an upscale Miami Beach hotel, along with his

estranged wife Carmen Electra, after the two were involved in a physical

altercation, police said.

The couple, who were divorced earlier this year, were charged with

misdemeanor battery and were taken to Miami-Dade County Jail where they

were booked.

Rodman, a power forward and rebounding king for several NBA teams, is in

the fast-paced beach town shooting a movie called “Cut Away.”

Police said the couple caused a loud disturbance at the Bentley Hotel in

South Beach early Friday morning. Authorities responded to the couple’s

room around 7 a.m. and found the two embroiled in an argument.

Police said Electra, whose real name is Tara Patrick, had a cut on her

lip and the 38-year-old Rodman had scratches on his arm and a torn shirt.

Each person allegedly accused the other of making insulting remarks and

hitting one another. Under state law, police must arrest those involved

when they both are making domestic violence allegations.

“We have no other option but to arrest,” Miami Beach Det. Al Boza said.

“It doesn’t matter on the level of injury. That is immaterial.”

The couple were led to the county jail under the watchful eye of police

officers and the media that swarmed the patrol car in which Rodman and

Electra were passengers. The two were reportedly released on bail Friday

afternoon.

The arrest marks the second time this year Rodman has seen the inside of

a jail.

In August, he spent a night behind bars after he caused a disturbance at

Woody’s Wharf on the Balboa Peninsula. Rodman and another patron got into

a scuffle and police arrested both on suspicion of public drunkenness.

The Orange County district attorney’s office eventually dropped the

charges against Rodman.

Police have responded to nearly 25 disturbance calls in the last 18

months at Rodman’s Seashore Drive home.

The athlete known to be “bad as he wants to be” was a key contributor to

the championship Chicago Bulls teams that included legend Michael Jordan

and Scottie Pippen. He was released by the Los Angeles Lakers last

season.

Rodman’s relationship with Electra, who is best known for her appearance

on the television series “Baywatch,” has been marred with problems.

The two were married last November in Las Vegas, but Rodman sought an

annulment, claiming he wasn’t of sound mind. The two appeared at a

restaurant opening in February, where he stated the marriage was

legitimate. But two months later, a Rodman publicist said divorce papers

had been filed.