A music producer from Maryland was found dead in the Bahamas just hours after allegedly being reported to the police for spitting on restaurant workers at the five-star resort where he was staying.
The family told Eyewitness News Bahamas that Dinari McAlmont, 23, traveled to the Bahamas with his parents on Friday and stayed at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, close to the capital, Nassau.
Around 12 hours after touching down for the family getaway, officials said the McAlmont’s body was found at approximately with “no vital life signs” Saturday on the shoreline of Paradise Island.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Shanta Knowles said that authorities are awaiting autopsy results before providing further information to the public, and the cause of McAlmont’s death was not immediately clear. An investigation is underway.
McAlmont was last seen leaving dinner to grab a coat and explore the resort just before 9 p.m. the evening he arrived in the Bahamas.
The family said that resort officials came to the parent’s room and questioned them about his whereabouts.
They say that staff accused McAlmont of spitting on several workers inside one of the hotel’s restaurants.
“The police said they were looking for him because apparently he spat on some staff in a restaurant,” Michelle McAlmont, the victim’s mother, told the outlet.
She said she could not verify the hotel staff’s reports.
McAlmont’s mother said she attempted to text him hours before his body was found and said her son’s phone location was not working.
After scouring the resort and failing to find him, the family said they filed a missing person’s report.
Resort staff again returned to McAlmont’s parent’s room, they said, this time to notify them that their son’s body had been found.
‘His face was traumatized’
The victim’s mother told Eyewitness News her son’s face appeared “traumatized” after identifying his remains in a photograph, alleging he appeared to have been beaten “down in the sand.”
She said his son’s face appeared damaged, with sand on his hair and on his teeth.
“I need justice for my baby,” she said, breaking down to the camera. “I need justice.”
The Atlantis resort said it is working with authorities during the investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our guests. Our thoughts and condolences are with the guest’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. This is an active police investigation, and we are fully cooperating,” the resort told FOX 5.
McAlmont is being mourned by Lowcation Studios in Brentwood, Maryland, where he worked under the pseudonym Diddy.
“Diddy was more than an engineer to us, he was a great friend and an all around incredible individual. He was deeply passionate about his work and always committed to bringing the ideas of artists to life. He was a true team player, always stepping up to lend an extra hand when needed and making sure to keep all of us laughing during team meetings.
“It’s hard to imagine life in general and life at the studio without him. Diddy will be deeply missed by his friends, his family, and all of us at Lowcation Studios, but he will forever be a part of our family, story, and legacy. This studio would not be where it is without him and I will always have the utmost respect and love for him,” a statement read.
The Independent has contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for more information.