A judge released a man charged with three counts of aggravated child abuse and child neglect after prosecutors failed to schedule a hearing.
According to Fox 13, defendant Eddie Tignor’s public defender asked the judge to release his client, which judge Gregory Holder agreed to do.
“Consistent with Florida law and in the absence of the information not filed, I will order Mr. Tignor be release,” said Holder.
The charges have since been dropped and Tignor is now a free man.
Fox 13 reports that, under Florida law, the State Attorney’s Office has 21 days to file charges or the defendant is released.
Detectives said the charges were a result of an incident where a child in his care had broken ribs, chipped bones, bite marks, cuts and bruises. According to an arrest report, Tignor admitted to some of the child abuse.
Fox 13 said prosecutors have several months to re-file.
Tignor has faced trouble before this case, where he was accused in April of throwing hot grease at a customer at a Wing Stop. He still faces charges from that incident.
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