SUPERIOR COURT
One of the defendants in a child cruelty case will most likely remain in jail following a hearing requesting a second reduction in his bond.
At the conclusion of the Nov. 3 proceeding in Jones County Superior Court, Judge Stephen Bradley determined there had been no change in the circumstances in the case of Silvano Gerado Espinoza and denied the bond reduction.
Espinoza was represented by defense attorney Julia Shankus, and Assistant District Attorney Cara Fiore prosecuted the case.
The proceeding was a defense motion, and Shankus said Espinoza’s original bond was $85,000. His bond was reduced at a July 21 hearing to $60,000.
The defense attorney said the family of her client is unable to make the bond, and he has already lost his job. She said his family lives in Blue Ridge, and he was the provider for the family.
Shankus asked for Espinoza’s bond to be reduced to $25,000 to match the bond of the co-defendant in the case.
Espinoza was indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury Aug. 1 with codefendant Amy Crane on the charge of cruelty to children in first degree. Fiore said Espinoza was due to be arraigned next week, but since all parties were present, Bradley suggested they go ahead and arraign the defendant.
After the arraignment, Shankus told the court that Espinoza had no violent or similar incidents on his record. She also noted for the court that Espinoza’s charges are very similar to the charges of his co-defendant, who was given a $25,000 bond.
“I ask you reduce his bond and allow him to work with me on his case,” the attorney said.
Bradley said with no change in the circumstances in the case, the bond in place was correct.
Case history
In an interview following Espinoza’s arrest, Jones County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Kenny Gleaton said he was called to investigate the case when a nine-year-old child was found walking along Bethune Downs Court March 31.
Gleaton said the complainant who found the child knew something was awry.
The investigator said according to the complainant, the child was trying to get back to the Methodist Children’s Home. He said when responding deputies asked where the parents were, the child reported that she was living alone in an apartment on New Clinton Road.
Gleaton said deputies contacted the Department of Family and Children Services and found out Espinoza was the child’s father. He said it was determined that Espinoza placed the child in the home because of behavior issues between the child and other children in the home.
The investigator said it was unclear how long the youngster had been living alone but it had been several weeks. The child had not been attending school. He said the length of time between the March 31 discovery of the child and the June 9 arrest of the Espinoza and Crane was due to the investigation of the case and DFCS hearings.
Gleaton said the child had been immediately taken into care by DFCS. He said other children in the defendants’ home were also under the care of DFCS. He said they were obviously concerned the child was not provided food and care.
The investigator said the child did not have a phone but there was a live feed camera in the apartment. He said the parents would drop off supplies that amounted to snacks.
Gleaton added that the child’s mother was not in the picture. He said the youngster had previously lived at the Methodist Children’s Home, but Espinoza had signed her out.
