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Man charged in deadly shooting that put 3-year-old girl in a coma appears in court

In court, it was revealed Dornell Jenkins was out on bond for a 2019 violent assault at the time of the shooting that killed a man and injured Helena Lane.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The man charged in a fatal shooting that has left a 3-year-old girl hospitalized for weeks was out on bond for another violent assault at the time, Harris County prosecutors said in court Sunday. 

Dornell Jenkins, 26, is charged with murder. Investigators said the suspect shot a man up to 19 times at an apartment complex in the 900 block of Cypress Station Drive on April 26. 

One of those shots hit an innocent bystander, a toddler named Helena Lane. Gonzalez said the child remains listed in critical but stable condition almost two weeks later. The girl's dad told KHOU11 that Helena is awake and feeding herself. 

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Saturday the suspect is finally behind bars. He was denied a personal bond but is being held on a $100,000 bail.

According to court records, Jenkins was charged in a 2019 family assault case. Prosecutors said he was accused of impeding the breath of a woman who he had a dating relationship with.

In court, it was also revealed Jenkins is homeless but has a job as a forklift driver. If bonded out, the suspect is forbidden from making contact with the victim's family and will be given a GPS monitor.

RELATED: Parents of 3-year-old shot in north Harris County are living in fear

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is still investigating what led up to the shooting.

HCSO responded just before 8 p.m. to a shooting call at the apartment complex, where they found the body of Denovist Hall, 31, and Helena injured.

Investigators said a man in a black hoodie was seen shooting at Hall who collapsed near an apartment building. HCSO said the gunman had already escaped.

Meanwhile, Helena was flown to a hospital with serious injuries. Investigators said Helena was sitting in a car seat inside her parents' vehicle when she was shot. 

Credit: KHOU 11
Helena Lane, 3-year-old girl injured in Cypress Station Drive shooting.

Gonzalez confirmed the suspect has no relation to the man who was killed. The sheriff made a plea with the community for information.

"A 3-and-a-half-year-old is fighting for her life right now as we speak," Gonzalez said at the time. "An adult male has lost his life. We don't need people like this running around our streets creating this violence."

Gonzalez later tweeted that multiple people fired guns during the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call (713) 221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at (713) 222-8477 (TIPS).

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