x
Breaking News
More () »

UGA receiver Rara Thomas arrested on charges including felony second degree cruelty to children

The Bulldogs senior was booked after 3 a.m. Friday morning, records show.

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested Friday morning on charges including second degree cruelty to children, a felony.

The UGA Insiders first reported the arrest.

Athens-Clarke County Jail records show Thomas, a senior on the Bulldogs, was booked after 3 a.m. and has not yet been released. The records indicate bond was not available for his offenses upon arrest -- it's unclear when Thomas may be able to seek bond. 

His full charges include one felony count of second degree cruelty to children and two counts of misdemeanor battery-family violence.

There were no initial details available about what led to the arrest.

Thomas was arrested once before, in early 2023, on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor charge of family violence. The felony charge was dismissed in that case as part of a pretrial diversion agreement.

"The felony charge was dismissed after review of the evidence determined that the evidence was insufficient to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard for conviction for trial, unlike the probable cause standard used by law enforcement for arrest," District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez said in a statement at that time. 

Thomas' arrest follows several others within the UGA football program, most of which have been related to driving offenses.

News happens fast. Stream it faster with our re-designed 11Alive+ app.

Watch newscasts, breaking news streams and get the latest sports, weather and VERIFY content -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TVText "plus" to 404-885-7600 to download 11Alive+ and stream now.

Before You Leave, Check This Out