The three people arrested during a protest on the Georgia Tech campus were all granted bond Wednesday. But getting out of the Fulton County jail will come with a price: The bonds range from $20,000 to $107,500.
Vincent Castillenti, 31, of Decatur; Jacob Wilson, 22, of Atlanta, and Andrew Monden, 20, of Marietta, were arrested Monday night as a violent scene erupted at what began as a peaceful memorial to Scout Schultz, a student shot and killed by a campus officer. The vigil later evolved, fueled in part by outside protesters, Tech's president, G.P. "Bud" Peterson said.
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But attorney Don Samuel said Wilson, a 2013 graduate of The Paideia School, is a lifelong Atlanta resident and Georgia State University student and was exercising his right to protest and isn’t guilty. Wilson did not know Schultz, Samuel said.
Wilson, charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, and three misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass, allegedly hit an officer and knocked him to the ground, causing a concussion, according to his arrest warrants. He also allegedly spray-painted “cop murder” on the street outside the campus police headquarters. Wilson’s bond was set at $107,500.
“It’s a substantial bond, but we’re confident we’ll make bond and he’ll be released soon,” Samuel said outside of the Fulton jail.
Wilson was previously arrested in November for his alleged role in a fire at a train yard, according to a CSX Railroad Police report. Though that case is still pending, Samuel said Wilson was not involved with the arson, but was only trespassing. But Wilson’s arrest Monday night violates the terms of his prior bond, meaning he’ll have to post additional funds to be released from jail.
All three suspects, who did not previously know each other, made their first court appearances Wednesday. Though campus police said the alleged crimes were caught on video, attorneys for Castillenti, Wilson and Monden said their clients were simply there for a peaceful protest. As part of their bond conditions, none are allowed to return to the campus, including Monden, a Tech student.
Castillenti was charged with felonies including aggravated assault on an officer, along with willful obstruction of an officer by use of threats or violence. He allegedly hit an officer in the head with a hammer, according to his arrest warrant. But his attorney said Castillenti never had a hammer at the protest. Bond for Castillenti was set at $50,000.
Monden, who registered and is still listed by Georgia Tech as Cassandra Monden, jumped up and down on a police vehicle and attempted to smash the front windshield, according to an arrest warrant. Others at the protest tried to jump an officer to give Monden time to flee, but he was arrested, according to campus police.
Bond was set at $20,000 for Monden, whose parents were in the courtroom Wednesday. It was not known whether Tech would allow Monden, a computational media major, to return to school.
All three are scheduled to to be back in court Oct. 4.
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