San Leandro murder suspect released from jail after judge set bail

SAN LEANDRO — The suspect in a 2024 killing was released from jail after his attorney told the judge about “confidential medical information” and argued he was the “driver and nothing more,” according to court records.

Robert Hughes, 19, was released from jail on $300,000 bail in March after his lawyer had an off-record discussion with Judge Veronica Rios Reddick, according to court records. Prosecutors objected to his release, arguing that Hughes provided the “murder weapon” to the person who ended up killing 26-year-old Nathaniel McCowan during a Playstation 5 robbery in San Leandro, according to a transcript of the hearing recently acquired by this news organization.

McCowan was shot and killed on April 1, 2024, reportedly after setting up a meeting to sell the video game console. Thus far, Hughes is the only one charged. He was working as a FedEx driver at the Oakland airport at the time of the homicide.

Hughes was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery two months after the killing, and police say they found a handgun in his possession. During a subsequent interview, he claimed that it was actually another person — a person he’d gone to middle school with — who was responsible for robbing and killing McCowan, authorities said.

Hughes wasn’t charged until late February. He has pleaded not guilty.

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