Where there was smoke …
The teen who allegedly assaulted an off-duty firefighter last weekend was roaming the streets at the time because a judge had released him without bail for a robbery nine days earlier — even though he was already awaiting sentencing for felony burglary.
“There’s something wrong when a convicted felon is allowed to walk the streets and commit another crime while awaiting sentencing,” fumed one high-ranking police source Friday.
Alleged one-teen crime spree Damir Johnson, 17, first crossed the criminal justice system in January, when he was charged with breaking into a 68-year-old Bronx woman’s apartment, shoving her to the floor and demanding money, cops said.
He was hit with several charges, including robbery, assault and burglary, ultimately pleading guilty to the latter on March 28, authorities said.
Over prosecutors’ objections, Bronx Judge George Villegas offered Johnson youthful offender status and a discharge, on the condition that he complete a six-month program and another half-year of court monitoring, officials said.
But it was less than two months later that Johnson allegedly swiped two cookies and a doughnut from a 7-Eleven in Kips Bay, slugging the owner when he tried to stop him, authorities said.
At his Manhattan criminal court arraignment for the May 9 robbery, prosecutors asked Judge Ilana Marcus for $20,000 bail, pointing out that Johnson was awaiting sentencing for another felony, officials said.
But Marcus instead granted Johnson supervised release without a cent of bail.
Then, nine days after the 7-Eleven robbery, Johnson allegedly stomped an off-duty smoke-eater who dared tell him and his friends to stop hassling an elderly couple.
Bail in that case was set at $100,000.
“It is sad to find out that someone who could commit such a violent attack is allowed to be out on the street with his criminal history,” said Gerard Fitzgerald, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association union. “When will the system start protecting the public?”
A court system spokesman defended Marcus, saying she was well within bounds to cut Johnson loose without bail.
“Judges currently have wide discretion in setting bail ensuring a defendant return to court,” said Lucian Chalfen, of the Office of Court Administration.
Additional reporting by Aaron Feis