Ajike Owens

Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Mom of 4 Through Apartment Door Gets Bond

A judge on Thursday set bond at $154,000 for the Florida woman accusing of shooting and killing her neighbor through her own front door earlier this week.

Susan Lorincz, 58, was arrested on Tuesday for the death of Ajike “AJ” Owens on June 2. Marion County officials delayed making an arrest in the case to determine whether Lorincz acted in self-defense and was justified in using force under the state’s “stand your ground” law, as CrimeOnline reported.

“And we got a bigger picture, the full picture. And my detectives wanted to make sure that we closed all the loopholes, so she would not have the defense of using the ‘stand your ground’ law, and this is not ‘stand your ground,” Sheriff Billy Woods said.

Prosecutors asked for a $200,000 bond, but Marion County Judge Robert Hodges set bond at $150,000 for the manslaughter charge and $1,000 each for four misdemeanors, which, he said, “is typically what I do for misdemeanors,” WCJB reported.

He also ordered her to wear an ankle monitor if she posts bond and have no contact with the victim’s family, and she cannot stay at her apartment where the shooting took place. She must also surrender all her weapons and be accompanied to her apartment to retrieve items.

Susan Lorincz
Susan Lorincz/ Marion County Sheriff’s Office

The incident apparently began when Lorincz got angry about children — including Owens’s — playing in an outdoor common area at the apartments. She told police they were too loud and she told them to leave. Owens’s 9-year-old son left his iPad behind, and Lorincz took it into his apartment.

When the boy went back to retrieve it, she allegedly threw roller skates at him, striking him. She also allegedly swung an umbrella at two other children who went to her door.

Owens went to Lorincz’s apartment with her son and knocked on the door. Instead of answering the door, Lorincz opened fire, killing Owens.

She told police that Owens was pounding on her door and trying to break it down. She said she felt she was in “mortal danger” so she fired through the door. Neighbors, however, disputed her account, and police saw no signs of any damage to Lorincz’s door.

During an interview with police, Lorincz told detectives that Owens was not “reasonable or prudent.” When asked why she chose that particular phrase, she told the detectives that she had researched self-defense laws and Florida’s “stand your ground” law in the days before her arrest.

Neighbors also said that Lorincz, who is white, had multiple issues with the Black children playing in the common area and had frequently used derogatory language toward them. According to an affidavit, Lorincz admitted that she had used “the n-word” and other derogatory language when speaking with the children.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Ajike Owens/Handout]