Erick Morillo, who was arrested last month for alleged sexual battery, was found dead on Tuesday, according to Miami Beach Police. He was 49. Per local news, officers responded to a 911 call and are still in the early stages of the investigation. Morillo was best known for co-writing the 1994 hit “I Like to Move It,” which exploded in popularity when Will.i.am covered it for the animated film Madagascar. He worked under a number of aliases, most famously Reel 2 Real. In the years following “I Like to Move It,” he became a staple in house and dance music internationally.
Morillo’s death occurs just a few weeks after he was arrested for alleged sexual battery. The alleged incident is said to have taken place on December 7, 2019, at Morillo’s Miami home. Per the police report, obtained by the Miami New Times, police believe Morillo and a female DJ who had worked the same event went back to his house with another unidentified woman. The female DJ told police Morillo “made several advances towards her, some sexual in nature, but she refused all of his attempts.” She said he apologized, so she decided to stay and sleep alone elsewhere in the house. She claims she woke up “nude on the bed” with Morillo “standing on the side of the bed also nude.” Following the alleged assault, she says she was in pain and called 911 to report being raped. She was then taken to a rape treatment center for evaluation. The rape-kit results came back positive on July 2.
When the Miami Beach Police Department initially responded to the scene following her 911 call, Morillo said he had already “spoken with his attorney.” In his subsequent statement, Morillo denied the rape but admitted to consensual sex with the unidentified woman, alleging that he returned to his bedroom naked and was shocked to find the DJ in his bed. According to the police report, the second woman told investigators she slept on the couch downstairs and hadn’t seen anything. Morillo was arrested on August 6 and was scheduled for a court hearing on Friday, September 4.
