COLUMBUS — The man accused of murdering a woman in her condo near the Ohio State University was released from jail 24 hours before her stabbing death, our media partners in Columbus, WBNS-10 reported.
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28-year-old Michael Brooks was being held in the Franklin County Jail on a felony assault charge.
His bond was originally set at $125,000, but a request was made to the judge for the bond to be decreased to $90,000, the station said.
On Sept. 5, Brooks pleaded guilty to two counts of felony fleeing and he was released on a $10,000 reporting recognizance bond three days later, pending his sentencing, according to Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page.
The day after Brooks’ release, a stabbing occurred on Iuka Avenue in the University District on Sept. 9, the station said.
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A neighbor called 9-1-1 worried about Emily Foster. The Columbus Division of Police said the neighbor then found Foster dead in her condo.
Police were able to locate a photo of the suspect, identified as Brooks, riding a bicycle in the area, the station said.
Brooks was charged with murder on Sept. 13.
While investigating Brooks’ whereabouts following Foster’s death, police linked him to two stolen vehicles from the Dayton area on Sept. 13, the station said.
On Sept. 14, police were notified that Brooks was taken into custody in Georgia.
During a press conference, Columbus Police Deputy Chief Smith Weir said a homeowner called the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, saying that he shot a home intruder on Thursday before 2 a.m.
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The intruder was identified as Brooks, the station said.
He is expected to survive his injuries and is currently under guard of law enforcement at a hospital.
Brooks will face burglary charges in Georgia and then will be extradited to Ohio, the station said.
“He does have a criminal history that spans Columbus police, some of the area suburbs, Franklin County, some agencies, and cities up and down 75. All the way from Detroit, obviously now down to Georgia and some communities in between,” Weir said.
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