Bond Reduced From $2 Million to $20K for Owner of Pit Bulls That Killed 9-Year-Old Detroit Girl
Pierre Cleveland, the 33-year-old man facing second-degree murder charges in the dog-mauling death of a 9-year-old Detroit girl, saw his bond reduced from $2 million to $20,000 on Friday, according to the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News and WWJ Radio.
In a probable cause hearing Friday, Judge Michael Wagner slashed the man’s bond to $20,000 at 10%, which means Cleveland can be released on a $2,000 bond.
If Cleveland posts bond and gets released, he will be forced to wear a GPS tether; have zero contact with any witnesses involved in the case; and agree not to own any animals, the Free Press reports.
Cleveland was charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and owning a dangerous animal causing death in Emma Hermandez’ Aug. 19 mauling death.
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The three dogs attacked Hernandez around 4 p.m. as she was riding her bike in the alley behind Cleveland’s house.
At the man’s arraignment, prosecutors said Cleveland knew the dogs were aggressive and failed to properly contain them. “He knew the backyard was not secure,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Barbara Lanning stated.
RELATED: Owner of Dogs That Killed 9-Year-Old Girl Charged With Murder
“The allegations are that the defendant was harboring dogs he knew to be dangerous, he knew to be aggressive,” Lanning said. “Those dogs escaped multiple times, even a week prior to this incident.”
She also said the dogs had killed one or more puppies inside Cleveland’s home before they attacked Emma.
RELATED: Before His Daughter Was Mauled by 3 Pit Bulls, Her Dad Confronted Owner About Aggressive Dogs
After his arraignment, Cleveland’s attorney said the $2 million cash bond was “outrageous,” the Detroit Free Press reports, but Emmett Greenwood did not comment further except to say that the suspect’s family was “praying for that precious child.”
It’s unclear whether Cleveland has posted bond yet. A worker at the jail where Cleveland was being held said he had no record of Cleveland posting bail as of Friday afternoon, the Free Press reports.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office stated that it would address Cleveland’s bond again following the preliminary examination, which is scheduled for September 18.
