Judge raises bond for musician accused of choking girlfriend, beating her with guitar

By Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune

March 07, 2010, 1:10PM

Dylan Brooks

A New Orleans musician accused of hitting his girlfriend with a guitar and repeatedly choking her until she lost consciousness must pay $300,000 bond to await the resolution of his case outside of jail.

Dylan Francis Brooks, 37, saw an Orleans Parish Criminal District Court magistrate judge raise his bond from $210,000 during a hearing Friday. He also received orders to stay away from his 29-year-old girlfriend, whom he allegedly attacked inside her home early Wednesday, according to court records.

Brooks, who listed his main occupation as "musician" in the police report, had not posted his bond and remained inside Orleans Parish Prison on Sunday.

"It seems appropriate to give a high bond when (someone) is (accused of) such a degree of violence," said Tania Tetlow, director of the domestic violence clinic at Tulane University. "The potential for witness intimidation is always so high in domestic abuse cases."

In the past, a domestic violence case like this one may have been tried in Orleans Parish Municipal Court, but District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro successfully pushed in February 2009 to have major allegations of domestic abuse instead tried in Criminal District Court in an effort to clamp down on batterers before they commit more serious crimes.

Investigators said Brooks and his girlfriend got into a shouting match Wednesday about 3 a.m. at her home. At some point, he grabbed a guitar and smashed it into the side of her head, causing a 5-inch cut, according to court records.

The woman told police she tried to run out of the home through the front door, but Brooks grabbed her and threw her to the floor. Brooks reportedly stood over her and said, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to kill you because you'll send me to jail."

She then accused Brooks of choking her until she passed out at least five times, causing bleeding spots in her eyes. He finally stopped when she promised that she would lie down with him.

Investigators said the woman managed to escape her home and call the police at a neighbor's home when he fell asleep later in the morning. Brooks allegedly wiped the home up with paper towels and cleaning products in an attempt to destroy evidence. Detectives found him hiding in a neighbor's yard and handcuffed him.

Officers jailed Brooks with counts of attempted second-degree murder, false imprisonment and tampering with evidence.

Brooks has lived in New Orleans and Metairie and once worked at a local hair salon.

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Ramon Antonio Vargas can be reached at rvargas@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3371.