- U.S. Marshals made the arrest
Waco
– No matter how you describe the offenses of a man accused of
aggravated robbery and aggravated sexual assault, both are crimes
against a person, and both involve violence against a woman.
On
Oct. 3, an unnamed female left her Bellmead area business with a bank
sack. Booker Vantwon Sterling, 24, spotted the cash she was carrying
to deposit in a downtown Waco bank.
He
and another man, who were driving a Chevrolet Caprice later reported
stolen, in broad daylight rammed her Suburban SUV from the rear at
the downtown corner of 4th and Franklin.
She
alighted to check the damage, and Mr. Sterling forced her back into
her vehicle at gunpoint. He ordered her to drive away into East Waco.
Officers
later found a Halloween mask he was wearing in the victim's vehicle,
which he abandoned after a quick thinking eye witness phoned police
to report the carjacking. His victim escaped unhurt.
When
the Grand Jury indicted Mr. Sterling on Jan. 6, 2012, three days
after the 90 days allowed to return an indictment under Texas court
rules had expired, Criminal District Judge Ralph Strother ordered his
release on Personal Recognizance on Jan. 20.
Under
the conditions of this bond, he was required only to sign a chattel
agreement to forfeit assets or property worth $50,000 after the
original $95,000 bond had first been raised to $100,000, then lowered
to half that amount. The transaction required no outlay of cash.
Mr. Sterling was free to go his own way in return for his promise to appear in court to answer the charge of aggravated robbery of a woman whom he and a fellow assailant attacked with a stolen motor vehicle.
His freedom did not last long.
On
April 19, Deputy U.S. Marshal Anton Slavich arrested Mr. Sterling for aggravated
sexual assault. Criminal District Judge Matt Johnson set his bond at
$30,000.
Officer
Slavich is member of the U.S. Marshal's Service Fugitive Warrants Division, though a booking card filled out at the County Jail, identifies
Officer Slavich as a Waco Police Department officer. Another similar
document identifies Officer Slavich as a Department of Public Safety
employee.
I am assuming the indictment for the sexual assault came AFTER the offender was released on a PR bond for the robbery? Reason i ask is that it is not unheard of for persons being released from jail improperly with charges still pending or forth coming. Second, it is not likely that the marshal svc would have gotten such warrant to service,,,,however i am certain it went to the right agency for prompt attention. And was the sexual assault committed in the county?....rendering it a county warrant?
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