PHOENIX (CBS5) -
It's been one year since a 10-year-old Valley girl was found dead in a footlocker. Her father is now facing child abuse charges after nearly skipping town, according to police.
Two relatives have been charged with Ame Deal's murder and four others face child abuse charges in connection with the little girl.
The latest arrest was her father, David Deal, who was taken into custody in the past week. He went before a judge and was cut loose with all charges dropped. He was rearrested two days later.
David Deal was originally arrested last Friday. Then on Saturday a court commissioner dropped the seven charges against him.
"This is not a circumstance where I can point a finger at any one person and necessarily find fault," Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said.
CBS 5 News contacted Phoenix police and prosecutors to find out how David Deal was released. Only Montgomery responded.
"The case came in without it being flagged as a high profile manner," Montgomery said.
Phoenix police also included some incorrect dates on the paperwork they submitted and there was no communication between detectives and prosecutors.
"There was an issue with the ability for the commissioner to find probable cause and we didn't address it within the same time frame in order to keep the defendant in custody," Montgomery said.
David Deal was released which forced detectives and prosecutors to act fact to get a grand jury indictment and warrant. Montgomery said prosecutors and detectives presented what they could gather quickly to get the indictment and warrant they needed to get him back behind bars. David Deal could face additional charges.
When David Deal was rearrested Monday night, he was packing a U-Haul truck.
"He was looking to leave," Montgomery said.
When David Deal was rearrested he was only charged with one count of child abuse, but he is being held on a $250,000 cash bond.
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David Deal
