The 17-year-old accused in a River Walk attack was admonished by the judge to follow all the conditions of her release.
SAN ANTONIO — KENS 5 had the only camera in the courtroom Thursday morning when the teen accused of a vicious pepper spray attack on the River Walk was released from custody.
Even though the 17-year-old is now facing adult charges related to the violent incident on Nov. 15, she was able to make bond shortly after the attack and win her release from jail.
The teen has two felony counts of injury to a child with initial $50,000 bonds, which have since been reduced to $35,000, and a third case of assault causing bodily injury, a misdemeanor, with a bond of $10,000.
Juvenile court officials said because she had previous unresolved issues when she was underaged, she should have been transferred directly to the juvenile system.
They said that didn’t happen.
Previously, the teen’s name and image have been widely shared on social media in connection with the attack on patrons enjoying a river barge ride, but the juvenile court has ordered that she still has the full protection of anonymity granted to her when she was a juvenile..
Associate Judge Erik Reynolds told the teen, “You are willing to waive your rights and proceed with a plea. Very good.”
The teen told Reynolds she wanted to admit to her previous violations when she was a juvenile so she can move forward and face her adult charges.
Fighting back tears, the teen’s crying mother told the judge, “I just think she deserves a chance because she’s already going through so much herself.”
Pleading for a break, the teen’s mom said her daughter has done well on supervised release before.
“At the end of the day she’s not a bad kid,” the mother said emphatically.
The teen came to court prepared.
She shared a written promise with the judge to behave and follow rules. Reynolds read her letter and said the teen would need to prove her promise to change will be followed up with action.
“Every day do what you need to do to show everybody that you can follow rules and follow the law,” Reynolds told her.
When court personnel pointed out that if released, she would be on full house arrest with a GPS monitor as part of her adult bond conditions, the judge agreed that there are probably enough safeguards in place to encourage her to abide by the terms set by the adult court.
The teen’s next court setting for the misdemeanor assault charge is on Jan. 12, before Judge Mary Roman.
Online records indicate she has a Feb. 23 pre-indictment hearing before Miguel Najera on the felony charges.