Farmington Hills Teen Denied Bond For Mother's Murder
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WWJ) - A judge has denied bond for an Oakland County teenager charged with first-degree murder in his mother's slaying.
Oakland Circuit Judge Martha Anderson rejected bond Friday for Muhammad Altantawi. The 16-year-old is accused of suffocating his 35-year-old mother, Nada Huranieh, last August and throwing her body from a third-floor window in their Farmington Hills mansion.
Altantawi's attorneys -- Shannon Smith and David Kramer -- had hoped to convince Anderson of the teen's strong ties in the community in an attempt to have him released on bond. The attorneys cited three people who had agreed to house him pending trial if he were released on bond, according to a report from The Detroit News.
Smith and Kramer argued that Altantawi's status as a minor, no criminal history, and presumption of innocence made bond appropriate for the situation.
The three people that volunteered to be the custodians of the teenager reportedly knew Altantawi's parents and said they felt he was innocent, noting that his mother spoke highly of him.
"This is the most serious charge a person can be charged with and being a minor doesn't change it," Anderson said after a two-hour hearing and questioning of those who volunteered, according to The News.
Evidence from medical examiners shows that the mother was strangled before falling out of the window, and a ladder and tile-cleaning solution were allegedly planted by the window to make it seem as if she fell while cleaning, according to the report by The Detroit News.
The Assistant prosecutor argued that evidence already gathered shows the teen is a flight risk.
Altantawi remains held without bond at Oakland County Children's Village.
