Los Angeles County prosecutors acknowledged Tuesday that they failed to inform a West Covina woman about a plea deal in December that allowed her estranged husband out of jail after he pleaded guilty to threatening her with a stun gun.
The lapse is one of several decisions the district attorney's office is investigating after Curtis Bernard Harris, 34, kidnapped Monica Thomas-Harris, 37, and killed her before taking his own life over the weekend at a Whittier motel.
The prosecutor in the case agreed to Harris' release on his own recognizance so that he could get his affairs in order before reporting to prison for a 16-month sentence. The prosecutor advocated for the release even though Harris had an extensive criminal record and despite a report by the county Probation Department concluding that Harris was "unsuitable for release."
"What I know about this case is that there are elements that concern me given his conduct before his arrest," said Pamela K. Booth, a branch supervisor who oversees the district attorney's office in Pomona. "What I know so far is that he showed a pattern of escalating violence against the victim."
It is normal procedure for prosecutors to inform victims in domestic abuse cases beforehand if the defendant is going to be released from custody. But for reasons that investigators are still trying to determine, that didn't happen in this case.
Rather, Thomas-Harris learned about her husband's release from unknown sources outside the courthouse. She came to court seeking help, with several witnesses saying she looked distraught. She met with prosecutor for 45 minutes, discussing whether she needed a "safety plan" and should stay at a shelter, Booth said.
Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley declined to comment specifically about the case. But in a statement, he said "the tragic murder of Monica Thomas-Harris is a matter of great concern," and that his office would seek to determine "whether there were any violations of office policy and/or failure to follow procedures established for these types of cases."
One of the key aspects of the district attorney's review will focus on the decision-making process that led to the plea deal, including why prosecutors did not do more to highlight -- and factor in -- Harris' background, Booth said.
The release was approved during a court hearing Dec. 21. The prosecutor, Deputy Dist. Atty. Samer Hathout, was sitting in for the original prosecutor, who was on vacation, Booth said. The judge, Tia Fisher, also was substituting for the case judge.
