The Texas teen who was charged with stabbing to death a high school football star at a track meet during a match is living in an upscale $900,000 home with his family in a gated community even after he pleaded to the court to reduce his $1 million bond, citing financial difficulties, according to a new report.
Karmelo Anthony, 17, has been living with his family in a luxurious home inside the gated Richwoods community in Frisco, Texas, after he was released from jail on Monday on a much lower bond of $250,000 for allegedly murdering of high school football star Austin Metcalf earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported.
Cutting a Sorry Figure after Alleged Murder
The sprawling property—which comes at a rent of around $3,500 per month—had a white Suburban, a black Acura, and another sedan parked in the driveway on Tuesday, the outlet reported. A neighbor told the outlet that the family had recently purchased a new car.
"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 resident told the outlet.
The Richwoods community is nearly a mile from Centennial High School, where Anthony was a student and ran track.
According to reports, the residents in the neighborhood didn't know that the family had moved into the home until Anthony was released on Monday. Since then, several neighbors have been feeling uncomfortable about having a murder suspect living next to them in their luxurious gated community.
"Not good. Not good. I don't think he should be out," an anonymous mother in the neighborhood told the Daily Mail.
However, it doesn't end here. The home of the murder suspect is also being flooded with deliveries, mostly for Anthony, with Amazon trucks coming multiple times a day for drop-offs at his home, the outlet reported.
"The best thing they can do is move," said another neighbor. "I think that would be best for everyone."
True Colors of an Alleged Killer
It remains unclear how long Anthony and his family have been living in the upscale gated community, as neighbors say they are clueless. Anthony was held in the Collin County Jail after being charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing to death 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in the chest during a heated argument over a seat at a track meet on April 2.
He reportedly told cops that he stabbed Metcalf in self-defense, while his family said on a GiveSendGo.com fundraising page that "the narrative being spread is false, unfair, and harmful."
The fundraiser has so far collected over $440,000 to support Anthony's legal expenses.
Anthony was initially held on a $1 million bond. However, a Collin County judge later reduced it to $250,000 after he pleaded that he had financial difficulties and allowed him to stay with his family before trial. However, the court ordered he wear an ankle monitor and is kept under constant supervision by his parents or another "adult designee".
His defense attorney, Mike Howard, said that the fundraising money is also being used to help the family relocate and hire extra security due to the backlash he is facing for the alleged murder of Metcalf.
