Freed because of pandemic, Stamford man rearrested

BRIDGEPORT — Keegan Bowes said he couldn’t understand why he was behind bars on Friday.

“I’m not a bad guy,” the 19-year-old Stamford man told Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander through a video connection from the basement lockup of the Fairfield County Courthouse.

Talking to Bowes through a large-screen TV monitor in the courtroom, the judge reminded him that last month she had agreed to release him because of concerns about the pandemic despite the fact he had a lengthy list of pending criminal charges: drug, motor vehicle, larceny, trespass and threatening.

On Wednesday, Bowes added several new charges to the list.

Stamford Police Sgt.

Robert Shawinsky said patrol officers in the South End on Wednesday spotted a vehicle with very dark tinting and pulled the vehicle over. Behind the wheel was Bowes, of Warren Street, who police quickly discovered was driving with a suspended license and had no registration while being in possession of a small amount of marijuana.

“There certainly should not have been any new charges,” Alexander said Friday.

One of the conditions for his release on a promise to appear in court in April was that Bowes was to wear a GPS monitoring anklet. The judge said Bowes never reported to have the anklet put on him.

“But I couldn’t wear the GPS because I had to go to

Rhode Island,” Bowes protested.

“Your other condition of release was that you were not to leave the state,” the judge retorted.

Bowes started to argue but the judge muted him at his lawyer’s request.

Alexander ordered Bowes held in lieu of $70,000 bond.

Staff writer John Nickerson contributed to this report.