Karmelo Anthony — the Texas teen charged with murdering high school star athlete Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet April 2 — and his family reportedly moved into a $900,000 home in a gated community after Anthony’s $1 million bond was cut to $250,000 Monday, and he walked free from from jail later that same day, the Daily Mail reported.
The outlet added that Anthony, 17, and his family are renting a Frisco home in a development known as “Richwoods” for an estimated $3,500 per month, according to Zillow, and that no one answered the door for a request for comment.
‘He got a new car.’
However, the Daily Mail said that when visiting the home Tuesday, a white Suburban, a black Acura, and a third sedan were seen parked in the driveway.
One resident who asked the outlet for anonymity said the Anthony family just purchased a new vehicle: “He got a new car. If you look at the license plate, it’s got a paper tag, and it says it expires June 4.”
The Daily Mail reported that “the lavish lifestyle is in stark contract to the cash struggles Anthony’s father, Andrew Anthony, claimed to have in court Monday, where the parent claimed he was the sole breadwinner.”
At Monday’s bond hearing, Karmelo Anthony’s new attorney Mike Howard said the Anthony family “needs to be able to survive. There’s been a tremendous amount of pressure. I think at this point, living in a gated community, given everything, the safety of their younger children is very warranted. Security details and criminal defense are not cheap,” KDFW-TV reported.
WFAA-TV reported that Anthony’s father at the hearing also said his family doesn’t yet have access to the money raised through GiveSendGo — which is closing in on $450,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. The father also said the cost of moving to a new home and providing for his wife and four children prevented the family from being able to pay Karmelo Anthony’s original $1 million bond, WFAA added.
‘Not good. Not good. I don’t think he should be out.’
A number of the Anthony family’s new neighbors didn’t know they had moved into their new digs until Anthony was released from jail Monday, the Daily Mail reported.
To say they weren’t thrilled with the Anthony family’s new living situation is an understatement.
“Not good. Not good. I don’t think he should be out. I don’t understand why he had a knife? My kids were in track. Your tents, for your school — you don’t sit under another school’s tent. That is not done because everyone leaves their stuff there while they’re out on events,” one mother told the Daily Mail. “Why would you stab someone? And now he’s a few doors down. It’s very scary. Like could he rob houses? I don’t know.”
The terms of Anthony’s house arrest include that he must wear an ankle monitor, must speak to the bailiff every Friday morning, and isn’t allowed on social media.
Another concerned neighbor told the Daily Mail that “the whole reason we live here is because it’s gated” and that “this is supposed to be a good neighborhood. These are high-end houses. Not everyone can move in here. I don’t even know what to say. This is supposed to be safe.”
The same neighbor also wondered to the outlet why the Anthony family asked for donations while maintaining a lifestyle already akin to others in “Richwoods.”
One neighbor added to the Daily Mail in reference to the Anthony family: “The best thing they can do is move. I think that would be best for everyone.”
In contrast, Karmelo Anthony’s defenders have been going viral on social media, with one of them actually declaring that Metcalf “got exactly what he deserved — point blank, period.”
What’s the background?
Frisco police told KXAS-TV they were called to Kuykendall Stadium around 10 a.m. April 2 after a 17-year-old stabbed a 17-year-old during a confrontation, which ultimately proved fatal. Police added to the station they arrested Karmelo Anthony and charged him with Metcalf’s murder.
‘What kind of parents did this child have? What was he taught?’
The victim’s father, Jeff Metcalf, told KXAS his son didn’t know the student who attacked him and that Austin’s identical twin brother, Hunter, not only saw the stabbing but also tried to stop the bleeding. You can view KXAS’ video report here.
“I tried to whip around as fast as I could,” a teary-eyed Hunter told WFAA. “I looked at my brother, and I’m not going to talk about the rest. I tried to help him.” You can view WFAA’s video report here.
Hunter told WFAA he held his brother until first responders started attempting resuscitation.
Jeff Metcalf added to KXAS that Hunter “was holding on to [Austin], trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms. I rushed up there, and I saw him on the gurney, and I could tell — they said he wasn’t breathing. I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was, and I was very concerned, so I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. And we prayed, and it’s God’s plan, I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him. This is murder.”
Jeff Metcalf also told KXAS that the suspect got angry after being told he was in the wrong place and being asked to move: “I’m not trying to judge, but what kind of parents did this child have? What was he taught? He brought a knife to a track meet, and he murdered my son by stabbing him in the heart. The guy was in the wrong place, and they asked him to move, and he bowed up. This is murder.”
However, Karmelo Anthony’s father contended in an interview with the New York Post that “everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be.” Anthony’s father added to the paper that his son is “a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA.”
The suspect’s father also told the Post, “I feel bad for the other parents and family, and words can’t explain how both [families] have been affected by this tragedy.”
After the stabbing, the arresting officer said Karmelo Anthony reportedly told him, “I was protecting myself,” before the officer questioned him about the incident, WFAA-TV reported, citing the arrest affidavit.
Anthony also reportedly told the officer that Metcalf “put his hands on [him],” the station said, citing the affidavit, after which Anthony was handcuffed.
The arresting officer soon told a fellow officer arriving on the scene that he had the alleged suspect — and Anthony reportedly interjected, “I’m not alleged; I did it,” WFAA reported.
A witness reportedly noted to police that Metcalf — who competed for Memorial High School — told Anthony he had to move from under his team’s tent, the station said, citing the affidavit. With that Anthony opened his bag and reached inside, the witness told police, WFAA said.
“Touch me and see what happens,” Anthony told Metcalf, the station added, citing a witness.
Metcalf reportedly touched Anthony, the witness told an officer, and Anthony told Metcalf to punch him and see what would happen, WFAA reported.
Metcalf then reportedly grabbed Anthony, after which Anthony reportedly pulled out what the witness recalled as a black knife and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest before running away, the witness said, the station reported, citing the affidavit.
Metcalf reportedly grabbed his chest and told others to get help, the witness told police, according to WFAA.
While Anthony was in the back seat of a police vehicle, an officer saw fresh blood on his left middle finger, the station said, citing the affidavit.
WFAA, citing the document, said Anthony while he was in the back seat of the vehicle also reportedly asked the officer if Metcalf was going to be OK. While being escorted to the squad car, Anthony asked an officer if his actions could be considered self-defense.
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