Panhandler accused of smashing vehicles stuck in Midtown traffic let out of jail without paying bond

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The man accused of smashing car windows at a Midtown traffic light Tuesday is out on the streets again.

David Mann was arrested and charged with criminal mischief after police said he walked up to cars stopped at Alabama and Milam Street and started smashing windows with a metal bar.

On Wednesday, Harris County Criminal Court hearing officer Courtney St. Julian signed off on a $2,500 personal recognizance bond.

A person doesn't have to pay the bond amount provided if they abide by conditions with a personal recognizance bond.

In Mann's case, this included appearing for all scheduled court appearances. But Mann wasn't at his scheduled 9 a.m. hearing on Thursday.

"What if he would have hurt somebody really, really bad, and then they just let him out? I don't think that's right," Stephanie Shanahan, who says her back window was smashed, asked.

SEE MORE: Houston drivers terrorized as metal bar-wielding suspect allegedly attacked vehicles at light

Shanahan provided photos showing shards of glass covering her son's unoccupied booster seat.

In addition to Shanahan's vehicle, Eyewitness News has been able to confirm at least six others were damaged.

ABC13 called and texted St. Julian to ask why she approved a personal recognizance bond for Mann, who was previously listed as an out-of-state fugitive in 2021.

St. Julian didn't respond to Eyewitness News' questions.

Prosecutors say they intend to ask that Mann's bond be revoked, but since they didn't at Thursday's hearing, the judge reset the case for Friday morning.

It's unclear what consequences Mann could face for missing Thursday's court appearance.

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