Bond Set For 1 Of 2 Brothers Charged In Deadly Brawl Over Birds
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Two brothers, behind bars for allegedly killing a man while fighting over birds, asked to be released at a hearing Tuesday but only one of them was granted bond.
A judge set bond at $75,000 for Lazaro Romero plus house arrest but bond was denied for his brother Freddy Romero.
Both are accused of stabbing and killing Yoan Vazquez, 32, while fighting over the ownership of 10 prized racing pigeons in 2013.
Vazquez had claimed that Lazaro Romero gave him 10 pigeons specifically used for breeding but Lazaro claimed the birds were on loan.
When the Romero brothers tried to reclaim the birds, there was an argument and fight which was captured on Vazquez' security camera.
In the video, police said, Freddy allegedly stabs Vazquez to death.
His brother Lazaro, police said, also joined in on the attack.
The brothers claimed self-defense saying Vazquez stabbed himself after pulling a knife on Freddy during the struggle.
The crime was also witnessed by Vazquez's 6-year-old daughter.
She's a star witness for the prosecution who told police it was Freddy Romero, not her father, who pulled the knife.
Prosecutors said the video also shows Vazquez in a defensive, hands raised posture adding it would have been impossible for Vazquez to have stabbed himself, as Romero claims, since he was stabbed eight times.
The Romero brothers are awaiting trial on second-degree murder charges.
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