Inmate’s bail was reduced to $0 amid coronavirus. Now he’s accused of robbing armored car and escaping jail
Riverside County CA July 21 2020 Efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus among the incarcerated population in April allowed a Desert Hot Springs man to be released from jail months before he allegedly robbed an armored car and escaped law enforcement over the weekend.
Riverside County Superior Court spokeswoman Marita Ford confirmed Angel Felipe Aleman, 35, had been in custody until April before his bail was set to $0 under the Temporary Emergency Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedule.
The California Judicial Council adopted the schedule in April and it essentially was designed to, among other things, reduce inmate populations and allow social distancing in jails across the state. Bail reduction applied to defendants in all misdemeanor and some felony cases.
Court records show Aleman has a history of arrests and he was most recently in custody for at least two unrelated 2019 cases: Battery on a relative in April and a car theft in July. Bail for each case was originally set at $5,000 and $175,000, respectfully, Ford said.
Previous arrests dating back to at least 2004 involved car thefts, burglaries, grand theft, drug possession and assault with a deadly weapon.
In a lengthy statement in April, Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Jeremiah Johnson argued the pandemic shouldn’t be a factor in Aleman’s bail reduction.
“After careful review and consultation with the victim, the people oppose any reduction in bail in the instance case, as doing so would threaten public safety,” Johnson wrote.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, 1,442 Riverside County inmates had been released under the new schedule as of last week. More than 200 of them have been rearrested.
Aleman was arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion of stealing a bank deposit bag containing $140,000 from an armored car parked outside a McDonald’s at 81-544 Highway 111 in Indio.
Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron described it as a “crime of opportunity.”
“He just happened to be there. Whether he was there for McDonald’s or not, he took the money and took off running,” Guitron said Monday.
Police arrested Aleman and recovered the money after finding it hidden in an empty lot near Cheyenne Street.
Police closed Oasis Street in Indio from the jail to Dr. Carreon Boulevard on Saturday, July 18, as authorities searched for an escaped an inmate.
A day later, Aleman sparked a manhunt after escaping from the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities did not alert the public about the escape until about 7 p.m. and details on how the suspect escaped haven’t been released.
When pressed by The Desert Sun about why it took so long to alert the public, Sheriff’s Cpl. Lionel Murphy said, “After Aleman had escaped from custody, internal notifications were made to gather and deploy the proper resources to assist with the search. Public notifications were made after details of the incident were confirmed.”
Deputies, along with a K-9 unit, searched the area and jail records show they took the suspect into custody around 8 p.m. on Palomino Court — about two miles west of the jail.
By that point, Aleman had taken off his orange jail jumpsuit but still wore his waist chains, Murphy said Monday. Aleman was treated for a minor injury.
Jail records show he is now in custody without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Indio. He’s scheduled to appear in court Tuesday and it was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.
Around the time bail reductions went into affect in April, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco called the judicial council’s decision “reckless” and San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said effects would be “devastating.”
“The change to zero bail for arrestees dramatically compromises our community’s sense of safety and well-being,” McMahon said.
Desert Sun
