Dominick Richards, 49, shot and killed Anishalee Cortes, 22, in the driveway of his home Tuesday and then killed himself – just 2-months after being released and FREE TO GO – after being arrested for assaulting Cortes by gunpoint on April 8th of this year.
During the incident on April 8th, Richards broke into Cortes home around 3:00 am and assaulted her at gunpoint. Police arrested Richards the same day and charged him with aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, criminal restraint risking seriously bodily injury to the victim, criminal trespassing, and disorderly persons.
Despite the prosecutors motion to detain Richards, Judge Alfonse Cifelli denied that motion April 13, and Richards was released from jail the same day under NJ Bail Reform after the “Pretrial Risk Assessment” tool determined that Richards was not a danger to the community and therefore should not be subject to any accountable release – just a “promise” to appear.
Another “validated pretrial risk assessment” Failure
New Jersey Bail Reform, Risk Assessments, and Pretrial Release Services…
- ZERO Accountability
- ZERO Deterrent
- ZERO Supervision
- ZERO concern for victims
- ZERO Bail…just a “pinky promise” to return
Murder-suicide shooter attacked victim before, was released from jail, police say
(reported by NJ.com – June 15 2017)
The Roselle man who shot and killed a woman on his driveway before turning the gun on himself Tuesday was arrested in April for assaulting the same woman at gunpoint, Newark police confirmed Wednesday.
Anishalee Cortes, 22, went to a Newark police station at 3 a.m. on April 8 to report Dominick Richards, 49, had broken into her home on Summer Avenue in Newark and assaulted her at gunpoint, police said.
Officers went to the house but did not find Richards, police said. Detectives got a warrant for Richards’ arrest and arrested him at about 8 p.m. that day at his home on Chestnut Street in Roselle, police said.
Photo Gallery posted by NJ.com
Detectives seized a Glock handgun from Richards’ home, according to police.
He was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal restraint risking seriously bodily injury to the victim, court records show.
Richards was also charged with criminal trespass, a disorderly persons offense.
Court records show the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office on April 10 filed a motion for pre-trial detention of Richards. Judge Alfonse Cifelli denied that motion April 13, and Richards was released from jail the same day, according to jail records.
Richards killed Cortes on his driveway Tuesday and then killed himself, authorities said Wednesday. Police found their bodies at about 2:30 p.m. and pronounced them dead at the home.
You’ve been LIED to New Jersey…NJ Bail Reform is RECKLESS, DANGEROUS, and YOU are PAYING for it.
https://www.usbailreform.com/new-jersey-sign-petition-repeal-replace-dangerous-nj-criminal-justice-reform-act-bail-reform/