Man awaiting trial for murder of Dallas 9-year-old missing after removing ankle monitor, DA's office says
DALLAS - A 23-year-old man, just days away from his murder trial, is still missing Saturday after removing his ankle monitor, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement has not been able to contact Tyrese Simmons for about a week now.
Sunday, the district attorney’s office was notified his ankle monitor had been tampered with.
Simmons is accused of killing 9-year-old Brandoniya Bennett during a feud with a rapper in 2019.
Police said Simmons, who was 19 at the time, fired into the wrong Old East Dallas apartment and turned himself in a day after the shooting.
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Simmons has been under house arrest with an ankle monitor for more than three and a half years awaiting trial.
But at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 28, a "tamper alert" went out, meaning the ankle monitor had been removed.
For nearly a week, all attempts to contact Simmons have been unsuccessful, with his trial set for Monday morning.
Former Dallas County prosecutor Russell Wilson, who is not associated with this case, said it’s likely any potential justice will be pushed back even further now.
"Of course, if the case does not start on schedule on Monday, everyone would then look at their schedules or find another date to do it. It would be unlikely that it would start if it didn’t start on Monday," he said.
Wilson said additional charges could be added.
"I don’t know if the DA would necessarily file an additional charge, but they could. There is a bond jumping charge. There are other charges they could file on him, but the offenses aren’t as serious as the offense he is facing," Wilson explained.
Simmons faces life in prison if convicted.
The search for Simmons comes just a week after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law making it a felony to cut off an ankle monitor. The law takes effect September 1.
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There is a bipartisan effort to make the penalty tougher for criminals who cut off their ankle monitors.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia helped pushed the legislature, publicly speaking out against ankle monitors for violent offenders.
According to online records, Simmons was offered a plea deal in May, but didn’t take it.
"I don’t know what the plea bargain offer was," Wilson said. "I am sure some type of prison sentence he rejected in May."
Last year, Davonte Benton was convicted of murder in this same case.
He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for his participation in the shooting.