MIAMI – No decision was made Monday by a Miami-Dade County judge about whether to grant bail to a 15-year-old boy accused of killing a rabbi during an attempted robbery.
DeAndre Charles was arrested in December for the August 2014 shooting death of Rabbi Joesph Raksin in northeast Miami-Dade.
Parts of a .40-caliber handgun and unfired bullets were found at the shooting scene. DNA on the magazine extension came back with a high probability match for DeAndre.
A forensic DNA analyst from Florida International University, Dr. Kevin McElfresh, testified at Monday's hearing on behalf of the prosecution and explained various types and subtypes of DNA profiles and how they include and exclude profiles of the human population.
The judge said he will weigh the evidence presented and study the law surrounding the matter. He said he will make a decision about Charles' bond "in the near future."
Defense attorney Adam Goodman expressed his disappointment with the decision, saying he asked for the bond hearing in December and feels it is being dragged out.
According to authorities, a cellphone tied to Charles pinged on a tower closest to the crime scene around the time of the shooting and surveillance video from the nearby Sabal Palm Elementary School that shows a dark-colored SUV right before the time of the shooting.
That same morning in the neighborhood, an elderly woman saw three black males commit a home burglary but never called police. She later told officers that they also used a black SUV.
A confidential informant came forward days later to give three names responsible for the shooting death and told police to look for a black Cadillac Escalade.
Police found the vehicle, which DeAndre was a passenger in, and all three people were questioned.
The confidential informant, Annex Jean, has since been shot and killed. Jean's murder is an ongoing investigation.
A tentative trial date for DeAndre has been scheduled for April 26.