Prosecutors seek new arrest warrant for Kyle Rittenhouse, $200,000 increase to his bail

Wisconsin prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant for Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators at a protest sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha last August, after he reportedly failed to notify court officials of a move.

According to the Associated Press, Kenosha County prosecutors claimed a motion on Wednesday that the teen, who was released from jail on bond back in November, had moved to a new address without notifying court officials within 48 hours.

Prosecutors also reportedly asked to increase his bail by $200,000.

Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted intentional homicide after he allegedly fatally shot two protesters and injured another last year. His bail was set at $2 million.

The bond had been paid through an account organized by his legal team.

In the motion on Wednesday, prosecutors advocating for the bond increase said Rittenhouse “posted no money so he has no financial stake in the bond.”

“He is already facing the most serious possible criminal charges and life in prison, so in comparison, potential future criminal penalties are insignificant,” they added.

In January, Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time of the protest in Kenosha last year and is now 18, pleaded not guilty to the charges after previously arguing he had acted in self-defense during the protest.

Prosecutors said the teen had journeyed from Antioch, Ill., to Kenosha amid the widespread protests against police brutality prompted by the Blake shooting to defend local businesses.

According to AP, prosecutors said on Wednesday that they didn’t discover Rittenhouse had changed his address until after court officials received a returned notice in the mail that had been sent to the teen in January.

The agency reported that prosecutors learned earlier this week that the address had a new occupant who had moved in back in December.

However, Mark Richards, an attorney for Rittenhouse, pushed back on those claims in a motion filed  later on Wednesday, according to the AP.

In the motion, Richards reportedly alleged that the teen had left his previous address after receiving multiple death threats. He also reportedly claimed he offered to tell prosecutors Rittenhouse’s new address months ago, as long as they agreed to keep the address under wraps.

However, he claimed the prosecutors refused to do so. He also claimed Rittenhouse’s attorneys were told by police not hand over Rittenhouse’s address to prosecutors.

The news comes after the teen was reportedly spotted drinking with members of the Proud Boys at a bar last month.



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