No Bail For Accused Keansburg Killer

FREEHOLD, NJ — Accused Keansburg killer Andreas Erazo will remain in the Monmouth County jail until his trial, Superior Court Judge Richard English ruled on Wednesday. Judge English ruled Erazo a flight risk because he is facing the possibility of life in prison without parole for the shocking murder of 11-year-old Abbie Smith of Keansburg, his downstairs neighbor.

Erazo appeared before a packed courtroom Wednesday, filled with media, Abbie's family — many of whom were crying — and stunned onlookers. Erazo did not speak once during the hearing, other than to confer with his attorneys. A motive for why he allegedly did it has not been revealed.

Much new evidence was presented by the Monmouth County prosecutor's office today:

At the time he is accused of killing Abbie, Erazo, 18, was actually out on a parole for illegally possessing a knife, an offense that happened while he was a juvenile. The knife he is accused of stabbing Abbie with was found on his bedroom windowsill, prosecutors said.

On the evening of July 12, he is accused of stabbing Abbie to death, specifically in the neck area, binding her with a computer cord and leaving her wrapped in blankets and a sheet directly outside his bedroom window, on the roof of a shed. Most of her clothing had been removed when she was found by investigators. When Abbie's family heard this, many started to cry quietly. It was the first time they heard the gruesome details about how the little girl died.

He bound her with a computer cord and placed her body on the roof of a shed directly outside his bedroom window, prosecutors said. Investigators found blood stains on his bedroom window and a knife, the presumed murder weapon, nearby.

Erazo lived in Apt. 16A, on the second floor of the Hancock Street building, in the unit directly above Abbie's. On the night she went missing, Keansburg police knocked on his door. At first, there was no response and then a young man came to the door, the prosecutor said. They asked if he had seen the little girl. Erazo said he knew her, but had not seen her. Keansburg police asked to search his apartment and they did a visual inspection, but found no signs of Abbie.

"He invited the police into his home and boldly lied to them," said the prosecuting attorney, Diane Aifer, an assistant Monmouth County prosecutor. "At a time when police and the community were desperate to find this little girl, he lied to police about the little girl whose body he hid outside his bedroom window."

"He faces the very real possibility of life without parole," she added.

Erazo admitted all of this during a nine-hour interrogation with police, prosecutors said. But his defense attorney said Erazo was scared and confused during his questioning.

"This is an impressionable young individual who is not familiar with interrogation procedures," said Courtney Schneider, one of his defense attorneys. "He was in a room with two very experienced detectives. His attorney was not present for the entire nine hours. He was sad, confused and he was vulnerable."

The defense asked that Erazo be allowed out on bail, saying he would live in an undisclosed residence 10 miles from the murder scene and wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

"All of his ties are to Monmouth County. His mother lives in Monmouth County, his aunt lives in Monmouth County," said Schneider. "He does not have the means to leave the state of New Jersey, let alone the country. He wants to stay here and face the charges against him."

"He is unemployed, not in school and has moved three to four times since he turned 18," Aifer countered from the prosecution.

Judge English ultimately decided to keep Erazo in the county jail.

"He gives the court great concern for our community," said the judge. "He will be detained until trial."

Above, Abbie's mother, Carol Smith Bennett, gives a thumbs-up sign in court, saying she was happy with the judge's no-bail decision. "Good. He'll stay where he belongs," she said out loud after the hearing was over.

Erazo's next court date is Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. The assistant prosecutors assigned to this case are R. Diane Aifer and Michael Luciano. Defense attorneys are J. Michael Wikke and Courtney Schneider of Freehold.

All photos taken by Carly Baldwin/Patch from the courtroom Wednesday.