Judge orders no bail for paramedic
The Clark County Fire Department paramedic accused of slipping house-arrest constraints and burglarizing a fire station in search of drugs last week will remain in custody without bail, a judge ordered Wednesday.
Samuel Bond, who was arrested Sept. 30 and charged with 11 burglaries of fire stations and ambulances, was out of custody on $25,000 bail and on house arrest at his father's home when authorities allege he broke into a county fire station Saturday.
Defendants on house arrest are home-bound by electronic monitoring devices that enable authorities to ensure they remain within the confines of their residences.
Bond was arrested Saturday after he was found passed out on his father's driveway and taken to University Medical Center, where he was stabilized before returning to jail.
"Mr. Bond had apparently defeated the monitoring bracelet and had taken morphine or some other form of drug," Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa said.
Las Vegas police said they think Bond broke into county Fire Station No. 65 sometime before 6:30 a.m. Saturday and stole narcotics.
Authorities said Wednesday that they remained uncertain how he freed himself from the electronic bracelet.
"That's a mystery to all of us," said Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen, who is prosecuting the case.
He said law enforcement officials are investigating how Bond broke free.
Hafen said he will review the police report on the latest burglary allegations and decide whether to charge Bond with additional counts.
Bond's defense attorney, Robert Lucherini, said he will file a motion for bail this week.
According to a previous police report, Bond confessed to committing the first 11 burglaries at local fire stations and ambulances to feed his growing addiction to prescription drugs.
Lucherini said his client's version of events differs from the police report but declined to get into the specifics.
He said that he was hired Oct. 11 and that he spoke to Bond then about enrolling in drug counseling with a private doctor who specializes in drug addiction.
"Had this one incident not taken place, he'd probably be entering that program today," Lucherini said.
Contact reporter K.C. Howard at khoward@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-1039.
