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Man accused of killing Nogales firefighter appears in court again

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Posted 1:06 PM 8/27/2012 : Man accused of killing Nogales firefighter appears in court again

TUCSON - The man accused of killing a Nogales firefighter returns to court.

39-year-old Jesus Zepeda was arrested last month. Police said he ran over Sterling Lytle in June then took off.

Lytle was on life support until his family made the tough decision to take him off.

Today, the judge set Zepeda's bond to a $100,000 secure bond. Zepeda can now post property rather than cash only.

Sarah Barcelo, Lytle's mother, pleaded with the judge not to reduce the bond or give Zepeda any sort of consideration with respect to it.

Zepeda's lawyer told the judge Zepeda has strong ties in the community, a wife and children, and has every incentive to appear in court.

Barcelo said it's heartbreaking that Zepeda could be back out in society.

She said she hopes no one else will have to go through what her family has been through since she lost her only son.

"What I worry about is the public safety with this person. If he would run over Sterling and leave him for dead, go into hiding for thirty days, what would keep him from doing something like that again? He thought he could get away with it. It wasn't until somebody turned in his vehicle that he turned himself in, figuring that they were going to do it if he didn't do it himself. Maybe he'll get a lighter sentence," said Barcelo.

Barcelo said she hopes in the end Zepeda is put away with the maximum sentence.

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