DALLAS — Note: The video above was uploaded in April 2022.
A county judge has ruled to continue a house arrest order for one of the four suspects connected to a 2021 robbery that resulted in the death of a father of five.
Judge Grace Lewis, who was filling in for Judge Lela Mays, ordered Monday that Jacoby Tatum stays under house arrest and on a leg monitor. Judge Lewis also ruled for Tatum to be released for work and church-related reasons.
Tatum is one of four suspects accused of going on a crime spree on November 16, 2021 that ended in the death of Ali Elbanna outside of a Costco in Dallas.
Jacoby Tatum was released on bail in April after Judge Mays lowered the bonds for three aggravated robbery charges. Those charges included the armed robbery of two teens at South Oak Cliff High School and the attempted armed robbery of a woman shortly before Elbanna's murder.
The victim's family released a statement against the ruling, saying Dallas County will be "less safe."
"Jacoby Tatum was involved in the murder of our father and three other armed robbery cases, but he will now be allowed to go to work and church alongside other Dallas residents," the family said in the statement. "We are deeply dismayed and disturbed by this decision."
Last Thursday, a 16-year-old will be tried as an adult in connection to this case. Camron Range was indicted on three aggravated robbery charges and one charge of capital murder.
In court, detectives said Range was wearing an ankle monitor when he stole a truck that was used by the suspects during the November crime spree. A detective also said the teen shot Elbanna outside of a Costco on Nov. 16 after the victim refused to give up his belongings.
The victim's family had been pleading with officials for the 16-year-old to be tried as an adult.