Judge Denies Bond Again In Attempted Murder Case
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami woman who broke down in court Monday after she was denied bond on an attempted felony murder charge kept her cool Tuesday when bond was denied again.
During the hearing, Blanca Regalado, 53, calmly listened as Miami-Dade Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat explained he was again denying her bond because the charge against her was a non-bondable offense.
"Your honor to my knowledge that is a bondable offense and there is a standard bond of $10,000," countered Regalado's attorney Patricia Jones.
State prosecutor Nessa Manten then argued that "the defendant stabbed the victim and stated that she intended on killing him."
In the end, Rodriguez-Chomat sided with Manten and denied Regalado's bond.
Jones also asked the court that Regalado's medical needs be met in jail, but declined to give any details about her condition. Judge Rodriguez-Chomat referred her to the clinic to ensure that she receives the proper medication.
On Monday, a wheelchair bound Regalado lashed out when Judge Rodriguez-Chomat informed her she was going to be held without bond. She hysterically pleaded with the judge to release her on bond and screamed that her husband had broken her leg.
Miami police confirmed that Regalado did, in fact, have an injured leg and that it was set in a cast after they took her into custody. Police say, however, that Regalado though was not cooperative with them and refused to discuss how her leg was injured. She did not accuse her husband until she appeared in court.
Experts in domestic violence say it is not unusual for those in such relationships to want to avoid getting their partner in trouble with the law.
On Saturday, police were called to an apartment building at 1800 N Bayshore Drive to look into reports of a domestic dispute. When they arrived, Regalado told them "I did it. My husband is a drunk and I'm tired of him and I stabbed him," according to her arrest complaint.
Regalado reportedly told the officers that her husband, 56-year old Francisco Javier Martinez,
sometimes gets aggressive but this time she had grabbed a Swiss army knife and was ready.
Martinez was taken to the hospital with six stab wounds in the upper abdomen, a punctured liver along with stab wounds in the right arm and right leg, according to the arrest complaint.
When police informed her that her husband was injured she allegedly said, "No, I want him dead."
Miami police said they have been to the Regalado/Martinez apartment at least four times for disturbances over the last year.
Advocates for victims of domestic abuse sometimes criticize police for not moving more aggressively earlier on, before violent relationships escalate.
Miami police could not provide specifics on their previous visits to the apartment, saying no reports were written.
Martinez was treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital and released.
Anyone seeking help with fixing or getting out of an abusive relationship can get free help by calling the Florida Domestic Abuse hotline at (800) 500-1119.
Anyone seeking help with fixing or getting out of an abusive relationship can get free help by calling the Florida Domestic Abuse hotline at (800) 500-1119.
