From Fox News: A 23-year-old Florida man with a violent criminal record spent two months on the run before his capture on charges of rape and attempted murder, then walked out of jail after less than two days on a $9,500 bond.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Jacoby Tillman attacked a woman from behind around 8:20 a.m. on July 25, choking her unconscious on the Little Econ Greenway trail.
Tillman was due in court Tuesday morning for an arraignment, where Judge Vincent Chiu agreed to the prosecution’s motion to revoke bond, reversing a different judge’s decision to free him before trial. He was expected to be transferred to the Orange County Jail after the hearing.
Prosecutors wrote in court filings that they believe their initial attempt to have Tillman remanded was denied in part because Judge Elaine Barbour “was not aware of all the factors” that should have justified him being held. The charges against Tillman were later upgraded to include attempted murder, and he was also accused of violating a no-contact order by posting about a witness on TikTok and Instagram.
Even more shocking details are emerging about the case.
Tillman’s girlfriend is reportedly cooperating with authorities, and said Tillman told her, “I didn’t rape the lady. I was trying to kill the lady…. Because I wanted to know what it is like to choke someone out.”
The girlfriend also told authorities that Tillman had choked her previously, and said his mother tried to help him avoid capture after she saw coverage of the attack on the news.
According to court records in Orange County, Tillman has at least four felony cases going back to 2021, with convictions including robbery and the violent battery of a defenseless victim, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge in 2023.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina had voiced his outraged in a Facebook post, after the first judge had set Tillman free after the recent attempted murder.
“This is atrocious! He should have never been released,” the sheriff declared in fury.
Judge Elaine Barbour just released a convicted felon with a violent criminal history on $9,500 bond after he allegedly tried to r*pe a woman on a hiking trail.
Prosecutors begged her to not release him.
She did anyway.
This violent criminal is now freely roaming the streets pic.twitter.com/2IgKckrLaJ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 19, 2025
Now Tillman is BACK BEHIND BARS.
🚨 BREAKING: Outrage is erupting after a Florida judge released a R*PE and M*RDER SUSPECT despite herself noting that he has a horrible criminal record.
WTF?!
“This judge could have held him, NO BOND…I am very surprised.”
She literally called his background “atrocious” yet… pic.twitter.com/pXa4sjNOez
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 21, 2025
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