Bail hiked to $4 million for motorcyclist accused of stomping out a mother’s car windshield in viral Center City incident
An attorney for Cody Heron requested a bail reduction in the viral assault case. Instead, the judge raised it by 60%.
A Philadelphia judge on Monday raised the bail of a man who police say stomped out the windshield of a car occupied by two women and two young children in Center City earlier this month.
Common Pleas Court Judge Vincent W. Furlong raised the bail of Cody M. Heron, 26, of Frankford, from $2.5 million to $4 million and cleared the way for the case against him on assault and reckless endangerment charges to move to trial.
Authorities say Heron was near City Hall on the evening of Oct. 1 with a crowd of ATV, dirt bike and motorcycle riders, when he dismounted his bike and stomped out the rear window of a burgundy Ford Fusion before pulling a gun on the driver and then head-butting her with his bike helmet. The scene, which was captured by a tourist riding a nearby double-decker bus, garnered millions of views on social media.
The driver, Nicki Bullock, 23, got out of her car and confronted the motorcyclist, who then pointed a handgun in her face. Ignoring the threat, Bullock fought back, at one point pushing the motorcyclist off his bike before he fled the scene.
Bullock said she was making deliveries for UberEats at the time, and had her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son in car, along with an adult female passenger. The children were not injured by the shattered glass inside the vehicle, she said.
Police received a flood of tips leading them to Henon after the video went viral — including one from his employer. He was arrested on Oct. 4, and police found the clothing and accessories the motorcyclist was wearing in the viral video, including the gold-and-black helmet and the T-shirt with the words “You Ain’t No Killa” printed on the back. Police also confiscated his motorcycle.
Heron’s bail was initially set at 10% of $2,500,000 — but that was increased by 60% in court on Monday, despite the defense’s request to have it reduced.
Justin C. Capek, a defense attorney for Heron, objected to the bail hike and said his client was focused on atonement.
“We respectfully disagree with the Court’s legal findings with regard to the charges being substantiated by the evidence and the necessity for a further increase in Mr. Heron’s bail,” Capek said in a statement. “Mr. Heron looks forward to accepting responsibility for the appropriate crime and has remained steadfast in commitment to make amends for his conduct.”
Bullock told Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong earlier this month she was relieved to hear about the arrest and charges. “It could have went way worse,” she said. “It could have been a murder charge. It could have been a video of me dying.”
Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford said he hoped the case would serve as a deterrent for other lawless behavior committed by groups riding motorcycles and ATVs. “People are fed up with it,” he said.
Court records show Heron is scheduled for a formal arraignment on Oct. 30.