Man accused of shooting, killing Temple grad was released from jail 2 weeks earlier: Officials
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The man identified as a suspect in the killing of a recent Temple University graduate who was shot while walking his dog had been released from jail on reduced bail just two weeks prior.
Police say 25-year-old Milan Loncar didn't put up a fight when two people approached him on Wednesday evening in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia.
After his pockets were rifled through, Loncar was fatally shot.
The man arrested, 20-year-old Josephus Davis, lives just a few blocks from the scene of the crime, authorities said.
Police say Davis was arrested just two hours after the murder, allegedly driving a car reported stolen in a separate carjacking.
RELATED: Suspect in Milan Loncar killing in Brewerytown was released from jail 2 weeks prior on reduced bail
While four others ran off, investigators took Davis into custody. Police say his clothing and description match up with the surveillance footage in Loncar's murder.
Davis was let out of prison on December 29, 2020, after paying a reduced bail, officials said.
Davis was charged with a separate violent carjacking of an Uber driver and paid $2,000 bail after a judge reduced the bail from $100,000 to $20,000.
He also allegedly assaulted and threatened a corrections officer while in custody and paid $1,200 reduced bail after a different judge reduced bail from $20,000 to $12,000.
In all, Davis paid a total of $3,200, officials said.
RELATED: Philadelphia police ID man accused of killing Temple grad walking dog
Court documents in the most recent case show Assistant District Attorney Martin McLemore referring to Davis' criminal history as a reason not to reduce the bail amount.
"There is a robbery, as well as the open aggravated assault, there is also one prior failure to appear from 2019. At this time I would object to a reduction," said McLemore.
That request was denied.
"We are looking into whether or not we filed an appeal but we did object to it was by the time the bail was lowered in both of those cases," said Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore at Tuesday's press conference.
Criminal court does not have any indication that any appeals in bail reductions were filed by the District Attorney's office.
The court system can't comment on these cases.
Action News reached out to one of the judges who made the decision but did not hear back. The other could not be reached for comment.
There were no detainers launched on Davis by judges or probation officers, no requests for them were made by assistant district attorneys.
Davis will not be granted bail throughout his trial as this is a violent murder case.
Philadelphia police say they have identified a second person of interest in the murder of Milan Loncar, but have not yet released a name.
