Prosecutors are pushing their calls for the court to issue a warrant for Kyle Rittenhouse’s arrest, saying the teen “believes the rules do not apply to him.” Rittenhouse also recently fired one of his attorneys, John Pierce.
Rittenhouse, 18, formerly of Antioch, was arrested for shooting and killing two people and injuring a third person during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last summer.
He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18.
The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion on Wednesday and said that Rittenhouse listed his home residence in November as being in the 200 block of Anita Terrace in Antioch.
Prosecutors say that is false and he no longer resides there. A notice mailed to the address on December 22 was returned unclaimed on January 28, according to the motion.
Police detectives went to the address on Tuesday and spoke with a man who stated he moved into the apartment in mid-December. He told them that Rittenhouse does not live at the address anymore, the motion said.
Prosecutors added that the same Anita Terrace address was listed on the bond that Rittenhouse signed on January 22 and he failed to correct it.
Prosecutors asked the court to issue a warrant for Rittenhouse’s arrest and increase his $2 million cash bond by another $200,000. They also want Rittenhouse to update his address in writing with the clerk of the court.
Rittenhouse’s Wisconsin-based attorney, Mark Richards, filed a response in objection to prosecutors’ motion to increase bond.
Richards said that his client has received numerous death and other threats, including threats of rape, following the immediate hours of the August 25 shootings.
Richards added that Rittenhouse lives at an undisclosed “safe house” and he would only provide the address to the court if it could be withheld from public record.
On Thursday, the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office filed a response, saying Rittenhouse “apparently believes the rules do not apply to him” by refusing to provide his current address.
“He is, after all, charged with murdering two people and severely injuring a third. Understandably this causes great concern in the community. The public has a right to know where he lives.”
Also on Thursday, the Twitter account “FreeKyleUSA” tweeted that they would be setting up an irrevocable trust to “strictly for the benefit of Kyle.”
They said that California-based attorney John Pierce, who had represented Rittenhouse, opposed the idea of the trust.
“John Pierce was terminated by Kyle on Monday morning. His association with FreeKyleUSA was also terminated. When we begin raising funds again, John Pierce has no involvement and is not connected in any way to the funds being raised. John does not speak for Kyle anymore,” the tweet said.
In late January, a judge modified Rittenhouse’s bond requirements barring the teen from consuming alcohol and from being around any hate groups after he was seen posing with members of the Proud Boys.
Rittenhouse was released from the Kenosha County Jail on November 20 after posting a $2 million cash bond.
Prosecutors say that the teen spent almost two hours at Pudgy’s Pub in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin with his mother and several others after he pleaded not guilty to all of his charges on January 5.
Police received a report Rittenhouse was at the bar and officers responded and collected security footage, which was forwarded to prosecutors.
Wisconsin law allows people who are underage to consume alcohol if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion on January 13 to restrict Rittenhouse from possessing or consuming alcohol at a bar or restaurant, displaying white power signs, and fraternizing with known members of white supremacy groups.
Prosecutors were also seeking for the court to prohibit Rittenhouse from displaying symbols and gestures associated with white supremacy groups.
A judge granted prosecutors’ request and modified Rittenhouse’s bond conditions.
His bond does not allow him to have contact with “any person or group of persons known to harm, threaten, harass or menace others on the basis of their race, beliefs on the subject of religion, color, national origin, or gender,” court records show.
Surveillance photos published inside the court document show Rittenhouse posing for photos with several men at the Mount Pleasant bar.
“In these photographs, the defendant and the other adult males flashed the ‘OK’ sign, which has been co-opted as a sign of ‘white power’ by known white supremacist groups,” according to the motion filed by prosecutors.
“Within a few minutes of entering the bar, the defendant was loudly serenaded by five of the adult males in his group with the song ‘Proud of Your Boy,’ which is an obscure song written for the 1992 Disney film ‘Aladdin.’ The violent white supremacist group called the Proud Boys was named after this song, which is sung by its members as an anthem and for self-identification,” prosecutors added.
A final pre-trial hearing is scheduled to take place on March 10 and jury selection will take place on March 29.