An individual has been detained for distributing narcotics to former “One Direction” member Liam Payne prior to his fatal fall from the third level of his Buenos Aires hotel room last year.
Braian Paiz, who is alleged to have provided cocaine to Payne, is one of five defendants indicted concerning the 31-year-old artist’s demise. He was apprehended by Argentinian authorities on Friday. He is one of two individuals accused of supplying drugs to Payne.
Paiz’ attorney has confirmed to CBS News that he has been arrested.
Previously, an Argentine judge has validated the charges against five individuals. The other three individuals – a businessman who accompanied Payne and two hotel managers – face accusations of manslaughter.
According to a press release from the prosecutor’s office, the two managers saw Payne inebriated and incapable of standing in the hotel lobby before his fatality but allowed him to return to his room, which had a balcony, instead of overseeing him until help could arrive.
Payne’s autopsy revealed he died from multiple injuries and external hemorrhaging. Toxicology analyses conducted after his passing disclosed he had “traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescribed antidepressant” in his system prior to his death. Prosecutors have dismissed the possibility of suicide.
One Direction has been recognized as one of the most successful boy bands in recent history. It declared an indefinite hiatus in 2016, following which Payne—like his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson—pursued a solo career.