WASHINGTON 鈥� A man accused of first-degree murder was released on bail last week, a decision that left many surprised.
鈥淚n my 39 years in police work I’ve never seen someone involved in a home invasion and homicide released like this back out on the street,鈥澛燤ontgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger told .
Dion Sobotker was聽charged with first degree murder and robbery tied to the death of 26-year-old Jonathan Harris, who was聽strangled during a Dec. 6, 2014, robbery at the home he shared with his mother, Patricia Harris, near Silver Spring.
Sobotker had been held without bond聽since his arrest on Christmas Eve last year. But on July 2, Sobotker’s attorneys asked a judge to review his bond status, according to Montgomery County Circuit Court records.
Circuit聽Judge Gary Bair granted that request on July 15, releasing Sobotker on a $500,000 unsecured bond. According to NBC Washington,聽Bair聽said: “I don鈥檛 believe the bail system is fair when you set a bond in an amount that no one can make.”
Then, Sobotker didn’t report to authorities over the weekend, prompting a search. He聽failed to show up to get fitted for a GPS monitor, among other bond violations, and was eventually聽taken聽into custody聽on Monday.
Bair revoked Sobotker’s bond at a new hearing on Tuesday.
Bair claimed that he had聽he had bad information at the time聽he granted the initial bail last week. He聽said that he would have never granted bail聽had he known聽about Sobotker鈥檚 criminal record, a federal gun charge, embezzlement charge and the seven times he failed to appear for court.
Bair聽went on to say that it was fortunate that nothing happened during the time Sobotker was free.
In 2010, Jonathan Harris聽had participated in a kidney-transplant exchange that was featured on the 鈥淭oday鈥� show. His聽kidney failed when he was 12. A donation by his brother also failed, leading him to
Patricia Harris said she was stunned when she found out that Sobotker had been released.
鈥淚t felt like [Sobotker]’s freedom was more important than my son鈥檚 death,鈥� Patricia Harris said.
Back behind bars, Sobotker’s five-day trial is scheduled begin Dec.聽7.
.聽Samantha Parker and聽Latoya Morgan also have been聽also charged with first-degree murder and are awaiting trial.聽Latoya Morgan pleaded guilty and agreed to testify at trial of the two other defendants. Morgan’s charges have been cleared.
聽said聽Parker was Harris鈥� ex-girlfriend and alleged that she had threatened to physically harm him.聽Police linked the three to the killing through聽surveillance video that captured Parker, Morgan and Sobotker using Harris鈥� credit card just after his murder.
海角精品黑料’s Kathy Stewart contributed to this report
