A Miami teen accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend just days before Christmas was back in court Tuesday. Wearing a mask and hoodie, 17-year-old Jahara Malik walked into court surrounded by family and her attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty.
A Miami teen accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend just days before Christmas was back in court Tuesday.
Wearing a mask and hoodie, 17-year-old Jahara Malik walked into court surrounded by family and her attorneys to enter a plea of not guilty.
Malik was charged as an adult with manslaughter for allegedly stabbing and killing her boyfriend, 17-year-old Yahkeim Lollar, after the two got into an argument near Northwest 6th Court and 61st Street on Dec. 20.
More than 40 of Lollar’s family and friends also attended Tuesday’s hearing wearing t-shirts with his face printed on them and a giant poster filled with names of classmates who missed their friend, a junior at Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
Over the weekend, Malik appeared in bond court where a judge allowed her to be home on house arrest with a GPS monitor, a ruling Lollar’s family was disappointed in.
“I think a monitor is a slap in the face, she should be in jail. There are people in jail for less. People in jail for trespassing. Jaywalking,” Nathalie Jean, Lollar’s mother, told NBC6.
On Tuesday, the victim’s family wanted a judge to bring Malik back into custody until her trial. In addition, state attorneys filed a pretrial detention motion where a hearing must be held to prove a defendant is a danger to the community.
On the other hand, Malik’s attorney believes she should have her GPS monitor removed and remain out of jail. Her attorneys claim there is no evidence she is a flight risk and said she has cooperated fully with the investigation. Malik apparently would like to go back to high school and continue her education.
“I don’t believe it’s in the interest of justice to her to be taken back into custody and to be held in custody in an adult facility until this matter is resolved,” said Larry Handfield, Malik’s attorney.
The pretrial detention hearing was scheduled for Thursday.
Until then, Judge Christine Hernandez allowed for the defendant to stay on house arrest until a hearing on her custody status is held.
As Malik walked out of the courtroom, she declined to answer questions about her arrest.
