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Nicki Minaj: Man arrested over death of rapper’s father Robert Maraj

Written by on 18/02/2021

A man has been arrested over the death of Nicki Minaj’s father, police in New York City have said.

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Charles Polevich, 70, was detained after turning himself in, Detective Lieutenant Stephen Fitzpatrick of the New York City Police Department said on Wednesday.

Robert Maraj died after being struck by a vehicle just after 6pm on Friday last week.

The 64-year-old was walking in the road when he was hit by a vehicle travelling in the same direction.

Polevich faces charges of leaving the scene of a deadly automobile accident, and taking measures to disguise his car.

Det Lt Fitzpatrick said that officers “kind of tracked” Polevich’s white Volvo “right to his house”.

Polevich owns a home on New York’s Long Island, but lives in Guam, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean.

According to Det Lt Fitzpatrick: “Mr Povelich did stop at that time, but then fled after that once he saw that he had injured this person”.

The police officer added that Polevich may not have faced charges had he not fled the scene.

Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj, was born in Trinidad before being raised in the New York City borough of Queens.

The death of her father comes just four months after she welcomed her first child with husband Kenneth Petty.

(c) Sky News 2021: Nicki Minaj: Man arrested over death of rapper’s father Robert Maraj