Country music singer Bailey Zimmerman is facing a felony charge in New Mexico after prosecutors alleged he caused more than $16,000 in damage to a hotel room and left an unpaid alcohol tab before canceling a scheduled concert, according to court documents.
Mr. Zimmerman, 26, known for songs including “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Holy Smokes,” was charged with criminal damage to property — a fourth-degree felony under New Mexico law — and a misdemeanor count of falsely obtaining services, Billboard confirmed. An arrest warrant was signed Thursday with no bond set, listing a no-bond hold.
The alleged incident unfolded May 27 at Sandia Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, where Mr. Zimmerman was scheduled to perform at the resort’s amphitheater. According to an affidavit filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, surveillance footage showed Mr. Zimmerman appearing intoxicated throughout the afternoon. During soundcheck, police say he swung a guitar against the stage floor twice, threw two drum cymbals, knocked over part of the drum kit and hurled microphones before shoving one of his guitarists. He also allegedly spit toward a Sandia security officer as he left the stage area and threw a water bottle down a staircase.
The affidavit states Mr. Zimmerman also burned fellow band members with a cigarette while smoking behind the resort earlier that afternoon and shoved a band member against a wall twice inside the hotel. Casino security reported he appeared intoxicated and “very angry with his band and manager.”
The concert was called off, and Mr. Zimmerman was told to leave the property. He initially refused to board a bus provided to take him to the airport, according to the affidavit, prompting Sandia Police to respond before he was ultimately escorted off. The following day, housekeeping found a damaged television, phone, coffee table and chairs, a hole in the wall, additional wall damage and stains on the carpet. Two chairs were missing from the room. The hotel also alleged Mr. Zimmerman had charged more than $400 in alcohol to his room without settling the tab.
Sandia Resort and Casino staff and police both attempted to reach the singer and his representatives by phone and email with no response, leading to the warrant being issued. The resort said it hopes to reschedule the concert later this summer.
On the night of the incident, Mr. Zimmerman posted on Instagram, attributing the cancellation to illness.
“I have not been feeling well and have tried to power through, but I’m not able to give you all the show you deserve,” he wrote, adding that rescheduled dates would be announced and all tickets honored.
Neither Mr. Zimmerman nor his representatives has publicly addressed the charges.
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