The man accused of violently attacking his roommate, leaving her in a coma, faced a judge Monday. Prosecutors are now amending the charge against him by upping it to attempted first degree murder.
Danielle Jones, 23, is fighting to stay alive, while the man prosecutors say nearly killed her is trying to get out of jail.
"His client is in custody and he wants to try and move on it. It's been 14 days," said Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, Miami-Dade Criminal Court.
Byron Mitchell, 35, told detectives he was dating Jones and the two got into an argument. He said Jones came at him with a knife, so he defended himself.
According to the arrest report, Mitchell admitted to grabbing her neck and choking her, then bashing her head repeatedly on the floor. Jones suffered bleeding in the brain, broken facial bones and cuts to her face.
"I just basically think he's a sociopath, that's why he's so calm, that's why he can lie so easily, that's why he thought he could get away with it," said Aimee Nikolov, victim's mother.
Mitchell met Jones when he answered a Craigslist ad for a roommate. Mitchell moved into Jones' apartment in Overtown and two weeks later, on Valentine's Day, on her birthday, she ended up in a coma.
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On Monday, Mitchell's attorneys were asking the judge for a hearing to get a bond set for Mitchell.
"We're definitely looking for him to be held no bond until he goes to trial and justice is served, and he spends the rest of his life in prison, where he belongs," said Jamie Peters, victim's attorney.
Mitchell's bond hearing has been set for March 10.
