Youngest member of '80s Motown group DeBarge arrested with meth
Chico DeBarge locked his keys in his car; police thought he was trying to steal it
The youngest member of the famed ‘80s Motown group DeBarge was arrested with methamphetamines in his pocket while attempting to break into his own car earlier this month, according to TMZ.
Jonathan "Chico" DeBarge, also known for his 1986 R&B solo hit “Talk to Me,” was spotted by police in a Walmart parking lot attempting to break into his SUV with a piece of wire, the outlet reported.
Officers, who had thought the singer was attempting to steal the vehicle, found the drugs after a quick search of the 53-year-old's pockets. Police discovered drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, in which DeBarge had accidentally locked his keys.
Chico DeBarge attends the 2009 Soul Train Awards at the Georgia World Congress Center on Nov. 3, 2009 ,in Atlanta, Georgia. (Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
He was released shortly after being booked at the Burbank City Jail, according to TMZ.
It’s not the first time the singer has had public issues with substance abuse.
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In 1988, Chico and his brother Robert "Bobby" DeBarge were convicted by a federal jury of conspiring to transport over 2 pounds of cocaine to Michigan from Los Angeles, according to UPI.com. He spent five years in prison afterward.
As a musical group, DeBarge was active from 1979 to 1989, with hits from "All This Love" to "Rhythm of the Night" and "Who's Holding Donna Now?"