A man who allegedly stabbed someone to death 2½ weeks after being sentenced to probation will be held in the San Juan County Detention Center until his trial.
District Judge Curtis Gurley on June 24 granted a pretrial detention motion filed June 23 by the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office, asking that Fidel Curtis be held without bail.
The motion stated that Curtis was accused in the June 6 stabbing death of Jacob Sharp and that he had prior convictions of possession of a controlled substance, battery on a peace officer, larceny, burglary, theft of a credit card, criminal damage to property and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Curtis pleaded guilty to those crimes May 19 as part of a plea deal from the DA’s office under which it was recommended he would receive five years of probation instead of the 10½ years in prison to which he was exposed, according to court records.
During the change of plea hearing, Judge Gurley said the charges seemed to require some prison time and he questioned the DA’s agreement for probation.
Assistant District Attorney Keith Mandelski told the court that Curtis had no felonies prior to entering the plea agreement.
Defense Attorney Mary Stubberud pointed out that Curtis is only 26 years old and “has a substance abuse issue.”
“These crimes were on a meth binge,” Stubberud said.
Curtis even told the judge that he felt like being on probation was the best thing for him. “I have a substance abuse problem. … I will make it on probation,” he said.
Curtis also told Judge Gurley that he had tattoos on his face of a teardrop, cross and dollar sign because, “I am religious … Catholic.”
Judge Gurley asked what that had to do with being Catholic and Curtis said he did not know.
Curtis told Judge Gurley he was trying to check himself into a treatment program, but many had a waiting list.
When Curtis was released from jail, he reportedly was unhoused and living on the streets, when he allegedly stabbed and killed Sharp.
He will be in the detention center until his trial.
A preliminary hearing for the homicide charge was moved to Aug. 7, because Stubberud said there is a “significant amount of discovery to review.”