ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A member of the Orange County Citizens Safety Task Force said a teen wanted for murder should have never been released from jail last summer in a separate crime.
Bishop Kelvin Cobaris told the committee the state attorney’s office should have never dropped gun charges against 19-year-old Travone Simmons.
“So that we as a community, when we are seeing something and saying something, when law enforcement is making arrests, that we don’t have multiple cases dismissed,” Colbaris said.
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The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Simmons is wanted for the Jan. 31 murder of 26-year-old Deontae Holmes near Apopka. Law enforcement is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Simmons was arrested in May of 2020 while riding in a stolen vehicle, according to court records.
Records show several guns were also located inside the vehicle. Court documents show those charges were dropped in July and Simmons was released.
“If there is no persecution and all we are doing is dropping cases, dropping cases, and nothing sticks. The same guys are being released right back into the public to do harm to not only the person they were targeting the first time but now the people who gave a tip about them to turn them in,” Colbaris said.
As the task force looks for solutions to stop gun violence, Bishop Cobaris said it is important prosecutors pursue charges against people accused of violent crimes.
“I want to be careful that I’m not just saying lock them up because that’s not what I’m suggesting, however, there are those who committed heinous crimes that we can’t just slap on the wrist and say a little rehabilitation is going to fix it.”