Defendant in murder case charged with property damage

DELHI, NY (WBNG) — The defendant in a murder trial will now face criminal damage charges, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Prosecutors said James D. Christ, 27, of Deposit, NY, was indicted by a grand jury on August 15 on charges of third-degree criminal damage to property, a felony.

The office said Christ allegedly damaged a 2008 Saturn Aura. The cost to repair that damage exceeded $250, the office said.

Christ pleaded not guilty to this charge.

On August 27, the district attorney announced that Christ had been charged with murder in one case involving the death of his three-year-old toddler. He was also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment.

On August 27, the district attorney also announced that the toddler's mother, 27-year-old Marielys Ramos of Deposit, was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and an additional count of reckless endangerment.

Christ and Ramos pleaded not guilty to these charges.

Prosecutors explained that the criminal damage charge would not normally result in bail, but in this case it was a felony because of the murder charge, so Christ's bail was set at $1,000.

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