DeKALB – A DeKalb man is facing charges related to a Tuesday incident on East Roosevelt Street during which prosecutors said he fired a gun at a woman and a six-month-old child who were walking to their car.
The incident occured in a residential area near Founders Elementary School in DeKalb, court records show.
Alante L. Ginyard, 28, of the 400 block of East Roosevelt Street in DeKalb, is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class X felony, according to court documents. Ginyard is also charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 3 felony, possession of a firearm without a FOID card, a Class A misdemeanor and possession of ammunition without a FOID card, a Class A misdemeanor, according to DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick during a virtual bond hearing Wednesday.
If convicted of the most serious crime, aggravated discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, Ginyard could face up to 30 years in jail and fines up to $25,000. Ginyard was arrested by DeKalb police Wednesday, court records show.
Ginyard appeared from the DeKalb County Jail in a virtual circuit court bond hearing in front of Buick on the charges. Despite Ginyard telling the court he did not have the money to post bail, Buick set Ginyard’s bond at $150,000. He would have to post 10% of that, or $15,000, to get out of jail.
“Given the nature of the allegations in this case and also past criminal history involving convictions for domestic violence-related incidents, I am going to set monetary bail,” Buick said. “I think the state’s request is appropriate and reasonable in this case, even in light of your current financial situation.”
The bond amount was put forward as a request by the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Suzi Collins asked for the amount due to Ginyard’s criminal history and the new charges, which involve a child.
Collins said she talked to a woman, one of the victims, prior to the hearing.
“We have spoken to [the victim] and she’s very fearful that, if [Ginyard] were to be released from custody, she would be in danger,” Collins said, who described the incident during which Ginyard allegedly fired a weapon in the direction of the woman and child as they were walking to their car.
Collins said Ginyard’s prior criminal history is “replete with incidents of domestic and family violence,” including felony convictions out of Texas for assault and causing bodily injury to a family member with a prior conviction. According to DeKalb County court records, Ginyard doesn’t have any prior felony convictions locally.
The incident caused DeKalb police to issue a citywide emergency alert asking the public to avoid a portion of East Roosevelt Street from South Fourth to South Fifth streets for “police activity.” The road was subsequently cleared as of 7:45 p.m., though officers remained on the scene.
DeKalb Police Cmdr. Jason Leverton, who was one of the officers responding to the East Roosevelt Road incident, said Wednesday there may be additional charges coming from the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office. He confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the incident.
“The shot appeared to strike a car that was sitting in the street there,” Leverton said.
Leverton confirmed police put up the road blocks for the “isolated domestic incident” because police initially received conflicting accounts of what happened and they weren’t sure exactly what they were dealing with when they were called. At the time of the call, the woman separated herself from the situation and police were called to where she was, along with Ginyard’s location on East Roosevelt Street.
“So we were just dealing with that situation with him and took him into custody” Leverton said, adding officers believed there was no impending or immediate danger to the public stemming from the incident.
“But if there were shots fired, we definitely didn’t want any evidence tampered,” Leverton said.
Ginyard was represented by Public Defender Tom McCulloch during Wednesday’s bond hearing, who suggested bond be set but not in the amount requested by Collins.
“I do think the state’s position of seeking $150,000 for a man who may get $700 on Thursday is a little excessive,” McCulloch said.
If Ginyard were to post bail, he is also ordered to be on a restricted electronic home monitoring device, and to have not contact with named victims in the case. He is set to appear for a status hearing on the charges Nov. 18 at 2:30 p.m.
This story was updated as of 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, following Ginyard’s bond hearing at the DeKalb County Courthouse.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
Be First to Comment