Brian Cloninger, the man charged with shooting a child in the face, had his bond raised Wednesday morning, but he may be able to get out of jail by Monday.
Cloninger is charged with felony injury to a child in the shooting of 8-year-old D.J. Maiden in the face last month. Maiden was playing outside his Dallas apartment at the time of the shooting.
Cloninger had his $2.2 million bond reduced to $1 million because he said he couldn't pay.
Prosecutors say Cloninger's wife lied under oath about how much money they could afford to pay in bond.
Wednesday a judge conditionally raised Cloninger's bond to $5 million if he uses a bail bondsman. According to prosecutors that means he now needs $500,000 cash to get out of jail.
The bond hearing will continue Monday morning, because Cloninger's attorney wants more time to review the jailhouse phone calls that prosecutors say prove he had the money to post bond.
Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins attended Wednesday's hearing and met with Maiden's family for the first time.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"An innocent child was shot in the face by an adult, for no reason at all," said Watkins. "By our estimation this guy should not be let in the public, because he may do it again."
Maiden had several surgeries and may never regain feeling in his jaw.
Maiden's grandmother says he's terrified of strangers and is worried Cloninger will get out of jail.
"He tells us he's afraid, he's afraid to go to sleep at night, unless all the lights are on. He only stays right by the door. He's afraid the guy's gonna come back at him," said Maiden's grandmother Sharon Locklin.
Maiden's grandmother, meanwhile, is hopeful he can return to school at the end of next week.
