NFL

Man Arrested at Va. Wawa Was Not Dallas Cowboys Player Lucky Whitehead, Police Say

Police announced there had been a mistake

Police say the man arrested for a petty theft in Prince William County, Virginia, last month was not Dallas Cowboys player Lucky Whitehead.

The news comes a day after the team cut the wide receiver.

The Prince William County Police Department told multiple outlets that Whitehead was arrested on June 22, at a Wawa convenience store, after an employee noticed he tried to leave the store without paying for some items.

Whitehead failed to appear for his arraignment for the incident on July 6, which led to a subsequent charge, according to police records.

But on Tuesday, police announced there had been a mistake.

Police say the suspect did not have identification on him at the time of the arrest and gave officers a name, date of birth and social security number that matched Rodney Darnell Whitehead Jr.

Officers then compared the man in custody to a photo from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles database.

"Officers acted in good faith that, at the time, the man in custody was the same man matching the information provided," the Prince William County Police Department said Tuesday.

Police say they are now working to clear Whitehead from the investigation. 

David Rich, Whitehead's agent, told ESPN that Whitehead did not commit the crime and wasn't even in Virginia when the theft happened. 

Whitehead, 25, was in the news last week when he said he returned to his Dallas home to find out his dog was being held for ransom. The situation was resolved after Whitehead told NBC 5 the dog was returned to him, without payment.

Contact Us