THE BEAST

Ill Nino vocalist Cristian Machado was reportedly arrested earlier this month on charges of domestic battery in California. The singer has claimed that the accusations are not only false, but premeditated.
According to a Riverside County Sheriff's Department report, the musician was arrested on Aug. 9 in Temecula, Calif. He was booked and released the following day on $5,000 bail, with a court date set for Oct. 7. The singer was charged under his birth name "Christian," but as pointed out by Metal Sucks, the birthdate lines up.
If convicted, Machado could face up to a year in prison and/or a fine of as much as $2,000. The singer could also be sentenced to complete a treatment program or perform community service. He might also have to make payments to women's shelters or pay restitution to the victim.
After reports of Machado's arrest began to make the rounds, the musician addressed the topic on social media. He first thanked those that have reached out to him expressing their support and care for his well being. He also added, "Every claim being made about me privately and publicly is 100 percent false. Not only are they 100 percent false, this has been premeditated."
Machado's status in Ill Nino has been a bone of contention for most of the year. Back in January, drummer Dave Chavarri announced that Ill Nino was working on music with a reconstructed lineup. Machado, Ahrue Luster and Diego Verduzco had all been excluded from the group, with the three members then revealing publicly that they had not left the band as Chavarri's announcement made it seem. The three members then put up their own legal challenge to the rights to the band's name while filling out their own version of Ill Nino. Details of the divide were revealed in a lawsuit back in March. Via Loudwire