HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The family of a Valrico woman who was allegedly murdered by her husband while their children were nearby is questioning why the suspect was out on bond after the killing.
Enrique Toledo, 54, allegedly jumped his bail and disappeared following the fatal shooting of his wife, Heather Toledo, 37.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at their home on Freeland Drive around 9:30 p.m. on July 3, 2022 and found Heather Toledo’s body in the master bedroom.
According to investigators, Toledo called 911 and said he killed his wife.
The incident report states the couple’s three children were in the home, and their oldest daughter witnessed her father “pointing a handgun at the victim before the defendant fired two separate times.
Toledo was arrested on a first-degree murder charge and booked into the Hillsborough County jail.
A judge set Toledo’s bail at $150,000 and allowed him to be released with an electronic monitoring device.
Toledo’s brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Michelle Green, were skeptical and worried about the decision.
“I’m not sure why such a low bond or even a bond was given with this type of a case,” Michelle Green said. “There’s an eyewitness. He called and said he did it. What more would you need?”
The Greens, who now have custody of the Toledo’s children, said the couple’s relationship was rocky at times, but they saw no signs of domestic abuse.
“It’s kind of hard to believe when you hear it,” Stephen Green said. “It jolts you awake.”
“She was fun. She just liked to have fun,” his wife said. “It didn’t matter if she was pushing people in the pool, or she was cheating at playing pool in the living room She just liked to have fun.”
Hillsborough County State Attorney Chief of Staff Gary Weisman filed a motion in late November to revoke Toledo’s bail after he allegedly violated court orders by contacting his children.
“We wanted a higher bond,” Weisman said. “This is a case where a monitor was not enough. We prefer that violent offenders are in jail.”
However, the motion was never heard, and about two weeks later Toledo allegedly cut off his ankle bracelet and took off.
“It was like immediate fear and then shock,” Michelle Green said. “We didn’t know if he was going to come after the girls. We didn’t know anything. And then it became anger.”
The Greens also wonder how long Toledo had his monitor off before the authorities were notified.
Roche Monitoring Services provided Toledo’s monitor. Company vice president Ken Berke emphasized the court decides what type of crime qualifies for electronic monitoring and he expressed confidence in the the devices.
“The use of the devices is based on what the court orders,” Burke said. “We have an extremely high confidence level in the monitoring devices and the data.”
The Greens do not have the same level of confidence.
“It’s really a letdown that something like this has happened,” Stephen Green said. “And it really shines a light on how many flaws there are in the system.”
Mike Moore, a spokesman for the 13th Judicial District said he could not comment on the judge’s bond decision.
The Greens were also surprised that the agencies involved in the case had not notified the public to say he was on the run.
Moore said the court doesn’t send out releases or alerts for those situations.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Amanda Granit said the agency won’t send out alerts without an arrest warrant.
Weisman said his office asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Toledo, but they did not send out an alert.
The Greens said none of it makes sense.
“Zero. Zero sense,” Michelle Green said. “There’s a lot of anger because of it.”
