PONTIAC, Mich. – A Pontiac mother fears for her life after her boyfriend allegedly shot at her while her child was in the car.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. Friday (Aug. 29) at the Spring Lake apartment complex, located on Carriage Circle Drive.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed disappointment with the court system because the suspect had already been ordered to stay away from the victim when the shooting occurred.
Local 4 reports that the suspect, 25-year-old Robert Lee Rayshon Rogers, is back on the street after being released on a $1,000 bond.
Bouchard said, “I’m sure she’s terrified. She looked to the criminal justice system for protection and got none.”
The sheriff called it an “absolute shame” that Rogers was granted such a low bond despite the serious nature of the charges.
“Thankfully, we were able to catch him, arrest him, and charge him with very serious crimes. From the prosecutor’s office, he was charged, but the magistrate let him out on bond. He’s already back on the street,” Bouchard said.
This low bond trend is something the sheriff says is happening too often, particularly by Magistrate Angelena Marie Thomas Scruggs.
“I saw that about two weeks ago. The very same magistrate had an accused suspect in front of her on very serious charges — six counts of felonies, including third-time felon, illegally possessing a firearm and a firearm conversion switch, which makes it an automatic weapon, a machine gun,” Bouchard said.
“That by itself is a 10-year mandatory prison term before the other ones even start, and he was given a $500 bond,” Bouchard added.
The sheriff hopes the woman involved in this case can live safely, despite the suspect knowing her whereabouts.
“I hope she’s taking personal steps to protect herself and her children. But that shouldn’t be the situation we’re in right at this moment. He should be behind bars,” Bouchard said.
The sheriff is doing all he can to help the woman feel as safe as possible.
Attempts to reach Magistrate Scruggs for comment have been unsuccessful so far due to the holiday weekend.