GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – At a bond hearing Thursday for 17-year-old Thomas White IV, a Clay County judge set bond at $125,000. White, accused of killing David Baez (pictured), had been held without bond since his arrest in September and faces a manslaughter charge.
Baez's mother read a statement on the stand, asking bond be denied.
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Investigators say White "sucker-punched" Baez, 15, just after school on Sept. 12. Baez died after remaining unconscious in an intensive care unit for eight days. Thomas L. White was arrested at his home a few hours after the punch.
Prosecutors plan to try him as an adult for manslaughter. The maximum penalty is 15 years in prison.
A Clay County deputy told the judge White confessed to striking Baez. He also said White has had 10 disciplinary actions at Ridgeview High School since 2001, including one for fighting that led to an in-school suspension.
White was ordered not to come within 1,000 feet of the high school or within 500 feet of any member of the Baez family.
Previous Stories:
- September 25, 2003: David Baez Laid To Rest
- September 23, 2003: Teen Accused In Punching Death Charged With Manslaughter