Hailey Bieber’s older sister, Alaia Baldwin Aronow, has entered a pretrial diversion program that can keep her out of jail in the misdemeanor case arising from a 2024 confrontation at a Savannah, Georgia, nightclub.
Prosecutors offered the 33-year-old a place in the program, and she accepted the offer and paid its fee, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. Court records reviewed by PEOPLE say Aronow must complete classes and may be required to pay fines as part of the arrangement.
The case involves four misdemeanor charges filed in Chatham County on Jan. 26 simple battery, simple assault, battery and criminal trespass. The counts stem from Aronow’s Feb. 24, 2024, arrest following an altercation with employees at Club Elan.
A police report accused Aronow of pulling a security worker’s hair, striking another guard in the genitals and throwing a tampon at a bartender. Aronow told responding officers she had been forcefully removed from the club and maintained that her actions toward the security workers were in self-defense.
The Diversion Program Gives Aronow a Route Through the Case Without Jail
Pretrial diversion takes place before a criminal case is resolved through the ordinary prosecution process. TMZ reported that Aronow was offered the program in exchange for avoiding jail as long as she successfully fulfills its requirements, which the outlet described as classes, financial obligations and other conditions.
The Chatham County District Attorney’s standard pretrial diversion agreement makes clear that successful completion is required. The form lists potential conditions including maintaining employment or enrollment in school, avoiding new legal violations, treatment or educational programs, community service, restitution, no-contact requirements and a program fee. Not every condition on the standard form necessarily applies to Aronow’s individual case.
The same form says prosecution continues if a participant chooses not to complete or participate in diversion. It also states that a person convicted of the covered misdemeanor offenses can face fines of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of up to 12 months for each offense.
When prosecutors formally filed the four charges in January, Aronow’s attorneys, Drew Findling and Cris Schneider, told TMZ, “We remain absolutely confident, there will be a positive resolution.” PEOPLE said it contacted Aronow’s attorneys for comment after the latest diversion development.
Police Said the Confrontation Began Around an Employee Bathroom
Savannah police were called to Club Elan at about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 24, 2024, after management reported that a patron had assaulted employees while being removed from the venue. According to the police report, the dispute centered on Aronow’s use of a locked employee bathroom after staff told her a public restroom was available.
Bartender Haleigh Cauley told investigators that Aronow said she needed a few minutes to be sick and change her tampon. Cauley said she allowed her additional time, but alleged that when she returned, Aronow removed the tampon and threw it at her.
Security workers Ian O’Neill and Jacinto Hills then helped escort Aronow from the venue. The police report said surveillance footage showed Aronow pulling O’Neill’s hair and striking Hills in the genitals while resisting removal.
When officers later spoke with Aronow, she said she had been “forcefully removed from the club.” According to the report, she initially denied throwing the tampon before later acknowledging that she had thrown it. She characterized her actions involving the security workers as self-defense.
The Four Misdemeanor Charges Were Filed Nearly Two Years After Her Arrest
Although Aronow was arrested in February 2024, Georgia prosecutors formally filed the current charges on Jan. 26, 2026. The charging documents accuse her of four separate misdemeanor offenses tied to the encounters with the three Club Elan employees.
Prosecutors alleged that Aronow caused physical harm to Hills by striking him in the genitals and pulled a portion of O’Neill’s hair from his scalp. The simple assault count concerns the alleged throwing of the tampon, while the criminal trespass charge relates to her alleged refusal to leave the premises after being directed to do so.
At the time the charges were filed, Us Weekly reported that a conviction on the battery charge could expose Aronow to as much as one year in jail. PEOPLE reported that Aronow’s next arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 25. The outlet’s review of court records confirms that she has entered pretrial diversion and faces requirements connected to the program.
