The road rage driver who allegedly killed boxing star Hannah Rapp is a career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet clearly showcasing that he was a danger behind the wheel — and had even been busted for a hit-and-run.
Charles Eric Medina, 31, was arrested on manslaughter charges for fatally striking Rapp, a 26-year-old up-and-coming featherweight fighter, with his car while she was cycling with her boyfriend, Will Pollalis, in Brazos County, Texas, on Saturday.
Medina allegedly sped past the pair on a two-lane highway with just a foot to spare, causing Pollalis to throw up his hands and yell toward the vehicle, according to an affidavit reported by KBTX.
The driver then allegedly slammed the brakes, skidded to a stop, and reversed his vehicle into Rapp — launching her head into the rear glass window and knocking her off her bike.
She was brought to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
Medina, who lives two miles from where the fatal crash unfolded, had a whopping 13 previous arrests in Brazos County alone since 2012, according to jail records obtained by the outlet.
He was cuffed for reckless driving and evading arrest with a vehicle in 2012 and pleaded guilty to both cases, ESPN reported.
Medina was arrested again for reckless driving in 2014, for a hit-and-run in 2020, and most recently for discharging a firearm in 2024 and evading arrest in 2025, the outlet said.
The two most recent court cases remain open, and it’s unclear what the outcome of the other cases was, according to the report.
The alleged killer was also ordered to have a psychological evaluation, the court records showed.
Medina is currently being held on a $250,000 bond on manslaughter charges for Saturday’s fatal accident.
Though Medina claimed he reversed slowly at 15 mph to talk to Pollalis, authorities alleged the damage to his vehicle showed a heavy impact, as if the car had suddenly braked and reversed into Rapp.
The star athlete ran track at Purdue University before transitioning to boxing, moving to Texas in 2024 and working as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M while being a featherweight boxer out of Bryan, TX.
A fundraiser to support Rapp’s loved ones has raised over $22,000 as of Monday evening.
“Hannah was resilient. She was brave and insightful, always pushing others to do their best,” read the fundraiser.
“She loved her family so incredibly much, and moving from Indiana to Texas meant distance for her friends and family,” the fundraiser continued. “Hannah was an inspiration. Even on her hardest days, she continued to bring love, laughter, and light into the lives of others.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
