Wes Scantlin, the frontman of the rock band Puddle of Mudd, whose full moniker is Wesley Reid Scantlin, finds himself entangled in felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic altercation with his girlfriend. According to TMZ, the incident unfolded in the wee hours of Tuesday, March 11, when police in Torrance, California, were dispatched to Scantlin's apartment in response to a reported brawl. TMZ was the first to break the news, citing law enforcement insiders.
Upon arriving and interviewing both Scantlin, 52, and his unnamed girlfriend, authorities determined that a verbal spat between the couple had escalated into a physical clash. The musician's girlfriend bore visible bruises on her arms, as reported by the outlet.
Scantlin was promptly apprehended and, during a subsequent search, police allegedly discovered a trace amount of illegal substances on his person, according to TMZ. The rocker was taken into custody shortly after 4:00 a.m. local time and booked into jail around 5:12 a.m., as per jail records accessed by PEOPLE. He was later granted bail and released on Saturday, March 15.
Scantlin now stands accused of domestic violence and possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, as reported by TMZ. He has been scheduled for two upcoming court appearances on March 28 and April 15, according to records obtained by PEOPLE.
Requests for comment from a representative for Scantlin and the Torrance Police Department went unanswered.
This latest brush with the law comes on the heels of a concerning performance by Scantlin at a charity concert earlier this month, following which he claimed to have been drugged by one of his ex-bandmates, as reported by Vice and Stereogum.
Furthermore, this incident marks less than a year since the singer, who has a lengthy rap sheet, was apprehended in California after a SWAT standoff. Last July, Scantlin was pulled over in Burbank, California, for an alleged traffic infraction while he had an outstanding warrant for possessing a weapon at an airport. As police attempted to question Scantlin, who was alone in the vehicle, he refused to exit. After several rounds of negotiation by police and a crisis negotiator, Scantlin was pepper-sprayed. Roughly two hours later, a SWAT team arrived and persuaded him to step out of the vehicle. He was then treated by paramedics on the scene, transported to a local hospital, and booked at the Burbank Jail for his outstanding warrant and resisting arrest.
Scantlin has also had two prior arrests in 2015 on suspicion of driving under the influence.
