Arrest in boxer Hannah Rapp’s death draws scrutiny of past cases
Brazos County records cited by ESPN show Charles Eric Medina had prior arrests before the fatal bicycle collision involving boxer Hannah Rapp.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
A Texas man arrested on a manslaughter charge after professional boxer Hannah Rapp was fatally struck while riding a bicycle had been arrested several times in Brazos County over more than a decade, according to jail and court records reviewed by ESPN.
Rapp, 26, died Saturday after a vehicle hit her on a rural road south of College Station, police said. Local news reports cited by ESPN said she had been riding with her boyfriend, Will Pollalis, at the time.
Brazos County jail records identify the arrested man as Charles Eric Medina, 31, according to ESPN. Public records reviewed by the outlet list Medina’s address roughly two miles from the location where the incident happened.
What police say happened
According to a police statement cited by ESPN, Medina passed two cyclists Saturday morning on FM 159 outside College Station. Police said he then stopped, drove in reverse and hit one of them. Rapp later died at a hospital, authorities said.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday that investigators believed the incident was isolated, ESPN reported. On Monday, the sheriff’s office told ESPN it could not provide more information because the investigation remained active.
Medina has been arrested for manslaughter, according to jail records cited by ESPN. The charge is an allegation, and the case has not been resolved in court.
Prior arrests listed in Brazos County records
ESPN reported that Medina’s Brazos County arrest history dates to 2012, when the sheriff’s office arrested him for reckless driving and evading arrest with a vehicle. He pleaded guilty in both cases, according to the records reviewed by ESPN.
Authorities arrested Medina again in 2014 on a reckless driving allegation and in 2020 on a hit-and-run allegation, ESPN reported. The outlet said it could not determine the outcomes of those two cases.
Before the arrest connected to Rapp’s death, Medina’s most recent listed arrests were for deadly conduct involving the discharge of a firearm in 2024 and evading arrest in 2025, according to ESPN’s review of court records. Those cases remain open, ESPN reported.
Court records in those pending matters include an unspecified order for a psychological evaluation, according to ESPN. The outlet reported that the prosecutor’s office and a court-appointed attorney connected to two of Medina’s previous arrests did not return calls.
Rapp’s rise from track to boxing
Rapp was originally from Indiana and competed in track at Purdue before moving into boxing, ESPN reported. She later relocated to College Station, turned professional in 2024 and worked full time as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M.
Pollalis is listed as an instructional assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Texas A&M, according to ESPN.
In the ring, Rapp opened her professional career with an 8-0-1 record, ESPN reported. In June, she fought Tiara Brown for the WBC women’s featherweight title at MVPW-04 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando. Rapp lost by unanimous decision.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.