A South Florida real estate developer accused of killing an elderly man in a drunken crash will remain behind bars until his trial after a judge denied bond.
Judge Tanya Brinkley found Allen Matis, 68, to be a danger to the community after he drove into a Miami home, killing an 82-year-old inside, WTVJ reported.
Police said Matis was driving at three-and-a-half times the legal intoxication limit when his Cadillac Lyriq ran a stop sign on Palermo Avenue and smashed through the living room and into the kitchen of the home, where the victim, Henri Bezy, was sleeping. Bezy’s sister Claire, who was also inside, survived.
“They found a leg and a foot. I guess it was Henry’s leg and foot,” she told WTVJ. “He didn’t answer when I called. I didn’t know until the next day from my next-door neighbor that he had died. I hope he died instantly.”
Matis was arrested Aug. 26, about two months after the crash. Surveillance video shows he was drinking at the Ritz-Carlton in Coconut Grove before the crash, according to authorities.
Judge Brinkely denied his request for bond Monday, saying “there’s no conditions that this court could impose to ensure this community remains safe.”
Matis’ defense attorney suggested during the bond hearing that the SUV could have malfunctioned. Matis pleaded not guilty to charges related to DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
Matis has ties to some of Miami’s major construction projects, including the Miami Riverbridge development, according to the outlet. That 2.5 million-square-foot downtown Miami project, developed in partnership between Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Gencom, include two towers with a 615-key Hyatt Regency Miami hotel, a 280-room Lifestyle Hotel with a Skybridge restaurant, more than 686 residential units and 110,000 square feet of commercial space, according to the development’s website.
Matis was a consultant on the project, The Real Deal previously reported.
—Grace McClung
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