Who is Carel Pedre and why was he arrested? Charges explored as arrest record and mugshot goes viral online

Carel Pedre's arrest record and mugshot have gone viral on social media. As per the records, the 45-year-old was arrested in Broward County, Florida, on December 21 and has been charged with one count of domestic violence. Other details of his case have not been revealed to the public.

Carel Pedre is from Port-de-Paix, Haiti. He had a 25-year-long career as a producer, radio host, and television personality. Pedre worked at Radio Planet Kreyol and Radio One Haiti, then appeared on TV as host of the reality shows Digicel Stars and Ayiti Deploge.

Carel hosted the popular radio show Chokarella on Radio One. It made headlines in 2010 for its coverage of the earthquake in Haiti and for sharing updates with the general public.

According to his official website, Pedre received the 2010 Humanitarian Shorty Award and the Change Maker Award for his coverage. He is also the artistic director of the record label Soley Sound.

Carel Pedre founded Haiti's popular digital media platform, Chokarella, and played a role in launching PleziKanaval, a platform covering Haiti's carnival. The public personality has a massive Haitian following and is known for promoting the country's culture and society.

Carel Pedre is currently in Broward County's Main Jail and is expected to appear at a court hearing on December 22. A source told The Haitian Times that the bond is expected to be set between $1,000 and $2,500. The Tamarac Police Department is investigating the domestic violence claim.

Carel Pedre's digital media company, Chokarella, has released a statement on his arrest

The company released a statement on December 21 confirming that its founder had been arrested. Chokarella noted that being arrested does not imply that Pedre is guilty of the crime.

It stated that the company has faith in the justice system and that, when Pedre is released from custody, he will share exactly what happened. Chokarella then thanked everyone who reached out and showed support, as well as those who "expressed confidence" in Carel Pedre's "character" and "values."

"We have full confidence in the justice system and are allowing it the time and space required to carry out its work. Once Carel is home and in a position to do so, he will speak on his own behalf and share his perspective on what occurred, in his own words, as he has consistently done in the past," the statement read.

As the popular television personality's mugshot and arrest record go viral, Haitian netizens are divided. While some joked about his arrest, others defended him, saying he is reportedly innocent.

"No one will believe that Carel raised his hand on the woman, as he just opened his mouth and the woman called the police. Women here are victims of so many men. 98% of the men in prison here are lies told about them by women. Men be careful," one Facebook user wrote.

"What is this world, what has Carel gotten himself into?" another netizen noted.

Stay tuned for more updates on Carel Pedre and his arrest.