Just two weeks after a Philadelphia carjacking suspect was released on bail, he was back in police custody on new criminal charges including murder.
A pair of judges allowed 20-year-old Davis L. Josephus to leave prison on reduced bail because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he was soon accused of killing a dog owner out on a walk with his pet.
Suspect in violent carjacking
According to Fox News, 25-year-old Milan Loncar was walking his dog, Roo, in his Brewerytown neighborhood on Wednesday evening.
Two men allegedly approached him in an attempted armed robbery. Loncar was shot in his chest and was pronounced dead from his injuries a short time after arriving at an area hospital.
When police officers arrived at the scene, the victim was reportedly still clutching his dog’s leash.
Later the same evening, officers arrested Josephus on suspicion of driving a stolen car, ultimately resulting in charges including murder, conspiracy, robbery, and firearm-related offenses.
A second suspect was also in custody as of the latest reports available.
“Without considering the safety of the community”
In addition to the violent carjacking of an Uber driver for which he was charged nearly a year ago, Josephus’ rap sheet is extensive — involving five arrests in the past two years and two open felony cases at the time of his most recent arrest.
While in prison, he was also charged with the assault of a guard. Nevertheless, he was released on Dec. 29 when the court reduced bail significantly in both cases.
Bail in the first case was reduced from $100,000 to $20,000 after pandemic-induced court closures led to his preliminary hearing being obstructed eight times. Josephus posted $1,200 in the latter case when bail was reduced from $200,000 to just $12,000 at the request of a public defender.
Loncar, a recent Temple University graduate, was planning to move in with his girlfriend, who said that she does not “have a plan anymore without him.” She and the victim’s family say they have been shattered by the senseless crime.
District Attorney Larry Krasner reportedly objected to the reduced bail and Philadelphia Police Inspector Derrick Wood called the case “ridiculous and another example of bail decisions that are being made without considering the safety of the community.”