A Miami-Dade judge lowered bond Monday morning for the father of a girl in the center of a gypsy family custody battle, increasing his chances of posting bail and leaving jail.
Samuel Montes was located and arrested last month, accused of interfering with plans last year for the mother of his 3-year-old daughter, Angelina, to return to Venezuela with the child. He refused to tell police Angelina's whereabouts, and has spent the past month in jail on an unusually high bond set at $200,000. On Monday morning, it was lowered to $15,000.
Angelina has been living with Montes's parents. Her grandmother, Zoraida Miller, is also charged with interfering with custody.
Under the terms of his bond, if Montes posts bail, he must surrender his passport and travel documents and remain under house arrest wearing an electronic monitor. Because he has overstayed a travel visa, Montes has an immigration hold.
Despite the legal issues, Angelina is still living in her grandparents' home, based on a successful home study by the Florida Department of Children and Families.