A man arrested for following a group of musicians through Times Square with a knife was released Friday without bail on prosecutors’ recommendation.
Photos of 22-year-old Deqon Massiah show him sneaking up behind the performers with a six-inch knife and putting his hand on the shoulder of one of the performers. Massiah was charged with menacing, harassment, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the New York Post. None of the crimes are eligible for bail.
The stalker’s release comes as Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has freed violent offenders. Bragg freed a man without bail last year after he was charged with beating a 67-year-old man to death, despite the alleged attacker’s long criminal record. In two months, he also released two offenders before trial who were later charged with murder. The prosecutor, who received more than $1 million for his primary campaign from billionaire donor George Soros, after he took office released a long list of misdemeanors he would not prosecute.
The judge who released Massiah said the "highest level of monitoring is appropriate."
Some lawmakers blame bail reform for rampant crime. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) said Bragg's policies created a "revolving door of criminals" and criticized Bragg for declining to prosecute many nonviolent crimes.