Saturday wasn’t a happy birthday for Eligio Cintron Perez.
The day before, Perez was taken into custody by law enforcement officials after a judge had signed a warrant for his arrest on a charge of death caused by the unlawful distribution of fentanyl.
Booked into the Marion County Jail at 3:58 p.m. Friday, Perez was in court on Saturday morning facing a judge on his 26th birthday.
Sitting on an aluminum bench in the front, the Silver Springs Shores man was called to the podium by Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon. Perez told the judge he has been working since September and doesn’t own a vehicle.
Though locally Perez doesn’t have a criminal record, state documents show he’s presently on probation for three counts each of marijuana-sale/manufacture/delivery and two-way communication commit, felony, and two counts of possession of marijuana over 20 grams. His probation began in August 2024 and ends in August 2028.
The judge appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Perez. Assistant Public Defender Julia Williamson asked the judge to consider setting bail, but she declined.