x

Judge grants request to further reduce bond of teen accused in Donna murder

4 years 1 month 1 day ago Thursday, February 27 2020 Feb 27, 2020 February 27, 2020 12:00 AM February 27, 2020 in News - Local

EDINBURG – A judge granted a request to further reduce the bond of a teenager accused of murdering a Donna high school student.

Rene Flores, attorney of 17-year-old Carlos Julian Contreras, appeared in court Thursday requesting his bond to be dropped to from $250,000 to $100,000. Contreras’ bond was already reduced earlier this month from $1 million.

On Jan. 14, a field worker discovered the body of 18-year-old Genaro Isaiah Castillo along Valley View Road, just south of Donna Lake.

The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office says the motive for the murder was over money.

Flores claims the reduction would help his family’s expenses. The 17-year-old is the son of Alamo Fire Chief Rogelio Contreras. The defense offered a better option would be to have the teenager under house arrest with 24-hour monitoring, if released.

The state prosecution disputed the request claiming the 17-year-old is a flight risk, saying Contreras was out on bond for a previous offense at the time of his arrest.

The presiding judge in 206th District Court decided to lower the bond to $200,000. The defense was not satisfied with the amount, saying it's still too high for Contreras' parents.

Watch the video above for further details.


CORRECTION: This story had previously stated Judge Rose Guerra Reyna was present in court, which was incorrect. An alternate judge presided in court in the case.

Related Stories

More News


Radar
7 Days