Dallas Police Association President: Dallas County Justice System Failed Texas A&M University-Commerce Victims
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The president of the Dallas Police Association is speaking out on the murders of two sisters in a Texas A&M University-Commerce dorm.
Mike Mata believes Abbaney and Deja Matts would still be alive, had the Dallas County justice system not failed them.
A week before their murders, Jacques Smith was arrested for assaulting Abbaney, his ex-girlfriend. His bond was set at $15,000. Mata said it should have been higher, especially given his violent criminal history.
"You cannot tell me that there's any justification for a guy that has committed four prior violent felonies to be given a $1,500 cash bond release," Mata said. "This guy got out before that warrant could be activated. When we see something that is broken, The Dallas County justice system has a duty to fix it."
In 2016, Smith was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery, later pleading guilty to a lesser charge of theft in both cases. He was sentenced to five years probation. Then he violated probation in 2018 after an aggravated robbery and evading arrest. A motion to revoke Smith's probation was sent in. Then he was sentenced to 120 days in jail, five years probation.
He was still on probation at the time of his arrest last week and once again violated it. A warrant was being worked up for his arrest, but before it was issued he bonded out of jail.
Right now, Smith is being held at the Hunt County Jail on $2 million bond. This is for both the Texas A&M Commerce murders and an additional murder out of a Denton that occurred on New Years Eve.
Denton police said evidence found at Smith's home while he was arrested for murdering the Matts sisters, linked him to that crime.
