SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — George Zimmerman, the man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, was released without incident from jail on $150,000 bail, around midnight on Monday. Information on his whereabouts has not been disclosed.
The neighborhood watch volunteer was wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans and carrying a paper bag. He walked out following another man and didn't look over at photographers gathered outside. He then followed the man into a white BMW vehicle and drove away.
Martin's parents said they have a "heavy heart" now that Zimmerman has been released from jail as he awaits his second-degree murder trial.
Attorney Benjamin Crump represents Martin's parents. Crump said Monday that they would rather have seen Zimmerman stay in jail until he is tried for killing their 17-year-old son during a Feb. 26 confrontation at a gated community.
Crump said Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton hope Zimmerman's freedom is temporary.
Moments before Zimmerman's release, two Seminole County sheriff's vehicles blocked access to the intake building parking lot where Zimmerman was being released. Zimmerman emerged after two public information officers confirmed the credentials of the photographers outside.
No questions were shouted at Zimmerman, and he gave no statement.
His ultimate destination is being kept secret for his safety and it could be outside Florida. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara has said there are several options for where Zimmerman could go, but would not disclose any of them.
O’Mara also said on Monday that Zimmerman will not attend his arraignment, which has been moved to May 8.
O’Mara said he will instead enter a not guilty plea on behalf of his client.
On Friday, Judge Kenneth Lester granted Zimmerman $150,000 bail. He said Zimmerman cannot have firearms, drink alcohol or use drugs and must observe a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew. Zimmerman also surrendered his passport and will wear an electronic monitoring device.
Zimmerman had to put up 10 percent, or $15,000, to make bail. His father had indicated he might take out a second mortgage.
Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot Martin, 17, on Feb. 26 inside the gated community where Zimmerman lived, during an altercation. Martin, who was visiting from Miami, was unarmed and was walking back to the home of his father's fiancée when Zimmerman saw him, called 911 and began following him. A fight broke out; investigators say it is unknown who started it. Zimmerman said he shot Martin in self-defense, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Zimmerman worked at a mortgage risk-management company at the time of the shooting and his wife is in nursing school. A website was set up to collect donations for Zimmerman's defense fund. It is unclear how much has been raised.
Bail is not unheard of in second-degree murder cases, and legal experts had predicted it would be granted for Zimmerman because of his ties to the community, because he turned himself in after he was charged last week, and because he has never been convicted of a serious crime.
Prosecutors had asked for $1 million bail, citing two previous scrapes Zimmerman had with the law, neither of which resulted in charges. In 2005, he had to take anger management courses after he was accused of attacking an undercover officer who was trying to arrest Zimmerman's friend. In another incident, a girlfriend accused him of attacking her.
On Friday, Zimmerman made a statement during the bond hearing to Martin's parents.
"I am sorry for the loss of your son," Zimmerman said. "I didn't know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I was and I did not know if he was armed."
Lester said Zimmerman will be allowed to go out of state.
WFTV
