An Atlantic City man with a criminal history spanning three decades will stay in jail.
Lenard Daniels, 51, was arrested Friday, breaking into a vehicle after smashing the rear passenger window, according to the charges.
He took about $12 and caused $500 in damage.
It was the second time he was arrested that day, Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Mills noted at a detention hearing Wednesday.
Earlier that day, Daniels was arrested after he allegedly took two bags, along with about $600 in cash and several identification cards from another parked vehicle, according to the charges. He was then released on a summons.
But that wasn’t the first break Daniels was given, Superior Court Judge Patricia Wild said.
Daniels was on pending sentencing next month after pleading guilty in November to another burglary case. He faced probation in that case, the judge said.
Daniels’ father is sick and could pass within days, defense attorney Maya Rex told the judge in arguing for her client’s release.
Wild said it was probably also what Daniels’ attorney argued last month that led to his pretrial release.
“A judge felt sorry for him and let him out over the Christmas holiday,” she said. “Yet this defendant continued to behave in a criminal and anti-social way.”
It’s been a pattern both the judge and prosecutor alleged.
Daniels has what the judge called a “deplorable criminal history,” consisting of 19 convictions on indictable cases since 1990.
At least 10 involved burglary, with others including aggravated assault, theft and weapons offenses.
In that time, he also has had 13 disorderly persons convictions.
Daniels had just been released from prison in March, after serving nearly 2½ years for burglary.
He also has three pending burglary cases in Atlantic County.
“The defendant’s penchant for breaking into places where he does not belong and stealing things which do not belong to him make him a danger to the community,” Mills said. “His history indicates he is willing to use violence to accomplish his goal when it suits him.”
Daniels will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
