BRIGHTON, Colo. — A man accused of murdering a pregnant woman was denied bond in Adams County court Monday.
James Benavidez, 50, has a lengthy record, including 23 charges for a string of crimes reported within a week.
Denver7 viewers have previously asked how someone who has acted illegally before can be given bond.
Judges consider many things, like if you're a flight risk, your ties to the community and how long ago the other crimes occurred and what they are.
Benavidez's arrest affidavit show his driving status had previously been revoked and his criminal history "showed a conviction for second degree kidnapping," according to the affidavit.
Court records also show previous non-violent charges, including an escape charge, harassment and car theft. Some of them happened within months of each other and most of them have a bond listed.
That takes us to now.
Brighton police detailed a string of recent crimes from Benavidez including pulling out a gun and trying to steal a man's car at a gas station, to reports of him stealing a car and leading police on a chase. Benavidez fired shots at police and they returned fire, according to police.
Days later, charges were added when police found the body of 32-year-old Kelley Koff in an abandoned car.
Denver7 did reach out to the Adams County District Attorney's Office ahead of Monday's court date to ask why someone with lengthy arrest histories are ever given bond.
"We're limited by our ethical obligations, and appearing to speak in any way about this case prior to filing and during the pendency could cause issues in Court," a spokesperson said over email.
Because of the severity of Benavidez's most recent crimes, he was given two crime-of-violence sentence enhancers. That allows a judge to sentence him to a longer period than the normal time for these crimes, if convicted.
