A judge with the Iowa District Court for Carroll County filed a ruling on Wednesday, denying a bond reduction for a Carroll man who has a long history of criminal activity. The matter came before the courts on Monday, Feb. 11 for review as 24-year-old Duy Quang Vo and his attorney, Jason Carlstrom, requested the bond reduction. Carroll County Attorney, John Werden, argued that Vo has little to keep him in the area and a background that indicates public safety could be jeopardized. The defendant is being held in the Carroll County jail on a $25,000 surety bond for a first-degree burglary charge. Vo is accused of kicking in the door of an apartment in the 400 block of East Valley Drive on Jan. 19. When a female resident arrived home, he assaulted her, brandishing a BB gun that resembled a Glock 19 handgun as well as a knife and gloves with hard knuckles. Vo, who is originally from Texas, lived in Harlan for four years before moving to Carroll, where he has lived for the past four years. His significant criminal record includes charges in Texas that are equivalent to felonious assault and criminal trespass, a felony drug conviction in Shelby County and criminal mischief charges for a spree of glass shootings in Carroll County—for which he was on probation at the time this assault took place. Judge Gary McMinimee wrote that with Vo’s minimal ties to the area, the bond is needed to ensure he will appear for trial and, “Considering the Defendant’s criminal record and the fact that the Defendant was on supervised probation at the time of the alleged offense, the public cannot be reasonably protected if the Defendant were released.” A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for March 11.
