Teen charged in connection with ‘Miss Flo' murder allowed $400K bail

By Bay City News Service

A teenager charged in connection with the murder of an 88-year-old woman will be allowed $400,000 bail following a court motion by her defense attorney today.

Jennifer Hernandez Jimenez was arrested and held without bail on March 9, nearly six months after her 19-year-old boyfriend Zachary Omar Cuen allegedly broke into Flovais "Miss Flo" Douglas' home near San Jose's Alum Rock neighborhood, stole her jewelry and car and beat and kicked her, leading to her death on Oct. 8.

Defense attorney Paul Noboa said in court today that Jimenez wanted to continue her pre-nursing courses at a community college and working part-time, as she had done prior to her arrest.

Noboa said that Jimenez's parents, who were in court today along with Douglas' family, would agree to participate in any court-ordered conditions such as a curfew.

Jimenez was arrested in July in Palo Alto on a separate matter but has shown up to all of her court dates, Noboa said.

Due to the nature of the crime, prosecutor Lance Daugherty argued that Jimenez's bail should be double the normal scheduled bail.

According to sheriff's officials, Cuen drove Douglas' car to Jimenez's house where she lived with her parents, wearing Douglas' jewelry and with fresh blood on his clothes.

Jimenez allegedly gave Cuen clothes to change into and watched as he burned his bloody shirt in her backyard. She threw his bloody Nike Air Jordan shoes and bloodstained pants into the trash can outside her house, sheriff's officials said.

Cuen was arrested on Sept. 15 after investigators found his fingerprint at Douglas' home. If convicted, he faces a life sentence in prison, according to the district attorney's office.

According to Daugherty, Jimenez has continued to lie, conceal information and obstruct the discovery of evidence in interviews with law enforcement.

If convicted, Jimenez faces a sentence of three years and eight months in prison.