Woman who shot Ocala mom of 4 to death given bail by judge
The Ocala woman charged with shooting and killing her neighbor, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens, was given a bond of $154,000 by Marion County Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
If she post bail, the judge said Susan Lorincz can't have contact with the victim's family or the children, cannot possess any firearms, must surrender her passport and would be required to wear an ankle monitor and must not leave the state.
Lorincz is charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, two counts of assault and battery. She is currently being evicted from her residence where the shooting occurred.
The ruling comes a day after another judge denied bail for the 58-year-old Ocala woman because it was unclear if the state was going to file a motion for pre-trial detention, which could have kept Lorincz locked up until her case was resolved. Prosecutors, however, told the judge they did not have the legal right for the detention.
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What happened?
Owens was shot on June 2 by Lorincz after the mother of four children went to confront her about the mistreatment of her children after they were playing in an empty lot next to Lorincz's residence.
Lorincz is accused of yelling at Owens's children, using racial slurs and throwing skates at them, which led to them telling their mother. At the home, Lorincz fired a shot from inside her locked house, striking Owens in the chest. She later died at a nearby hospital, deputies said.
Lorincz claimed the shooting was self-defense. Owens leaves behind three boys and a girl, between 3 and 12.
Appearance in court
A handcuffed Lorincz appeared at her bond hearing Friday morning with her lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Amanda Sizemore. Though he wasn't in court, Chief Assistant Public Defendant John Spivey, is also defending Lorincz.
Assistant State Attorneys Rich Buxman and Adam Smith are the prosecutors.
Sizemore questioned Lorincz about her situation. The woman said she has been living in Marion County for 15 years and promised to return to court when needed. She is single with no children. She was placed on suicide watch after being arrested.
She asked for a reduced bond because her client had no prior criminal history.
Buxman also asked Lorincz questions. She said she wasn't aware of her eviction. He also asked the judge to set bond at $200,000 because Lorincz has no ties to the community, no job and no property.
One of the lawyers representing the Owens family, Anthony D. Thomas, who's from Ocala, told the court the family said they don't feel any bond given would be sufficient.
Lorincz's next court hearing is in July.
Contact Austin L. Miller austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion judge gives bail for Ocala woman who shot neighbor, Ajike Owens
