The attorney of a teen who was charged in the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend says the incident was an accident. NBC6’s Christian Colón reports
Wearing a mask and surrounded by family, 17-year-old Jahara Malik appeared in court Thursday where her attorneys were hoping the teen would be allowed to move to Port St. Lucie and await trial.
Malik was charged as an adult with manslaughter for allegedly stabbing and killing her boyfriend, 17-year-old Yakheim Lollar, after the two got into an argument near Northwest 6th Court and 61st Street on Dec. 20.
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"Her whole defense is horseplaying. Who horseplays with a knife? You are learned as a kid that you don't play with sharp objects, right?" Nathalie Jean, Lollar's mother, told NBC6.
The young woman was granted house arrest during her bond court appearance last weekend, something Lollar’s family was strongly against.
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On Thursday, the victim’s family demanded Judge Christine Hernandez revoke Malik’s house arrest and send her back to jail. They considered Malik dangerous and immature and mentioned a video of her allegedly fighting in school, which they said led to a suspension.
However, state attorneys who represent the victim's family admitted they couldn’t request for her to be detained. Because manslaughter is a charge where a defendant could be released, and Malik had no prior criminal history, Assistant State Attorney Kevin Betancourt told the judge, over the family's objections, that he felt the appropriate bond was house arrest, but he did request more limitations.
On the other hand, Malik's attorneys argued for the teen to be granted permission to live in Port St Lucie and await trial. They wanted Malik to attend school there instead of in Miami-Dade.
"You have to understand that this was an accidental situation, this was not intended, and this young girl has no prior history in the juvenile system," said Larry Handfield, the attorney representing Malik
At the end of the hearing, Judge Hernandez sided with the state attorneys and elevated the level of house arrest to total lockdown. Before Thursday, Malik was allowed to go outside with a GPS monitor. Now, with the elevated level of house arrest, Malik is only allowed to go to school and see her attorney.
"Right now we feel like there was no justice served. She's still able to go out, even though if they got her in lockdown, What is the difference between her being in jail and at home? She still can't go nowhere, so why didn't she stay in jail?" Jean said.
