LORAIN – A GPS monitoring device has cleared an accused killer of robbing a Sheffield Township woman earlier this month while he was free on bond in a murder case.

Andrew Lorenzana was freed Tuesday from Lorain County Jail, where he had been held since his arrest in the hours following the May 10 robbery, said his attorney, Anthony Rich.

He had been facing aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary charges for the robbery, in which the woman said masked men claiming to be police officers forced their way into her home and held her at gunpoint while they searched for drugs and cash. Prosecutors have dropped those charges, according to court records.

When Lorenzana, 19, was arrested, he told police he was wearing a monitoring device that tracked his movements and urged officers to check it. Rich said he was pleased the authorities moved quickly to check what his client said.

“They`re not going to charge somebody for a crime he didn`t commit,” he said.

County Prosecutor Dennis Will said the charges were dropped after preliminary information showed Lorenzana wasn`t at the robbery scene.

But the preliminary GPS reports indicate that Avery Taylor, who also was free on a $50,000 bond after being charged in connection with the Feb. 3 shooting death of Christopher Lundberg in Lorain, was there, Will said.

“Avery can`t make the same argument that Mr. Lorenzana has,” he said.

Taylor, 19, has pleaded not guilty to the robbery charges, and that case has been bound over for consideration by a county grand jury. Taylor remains in the county jail.

Rich said if Lorenzana hadn`t been wearing the GPS device, he would likely still be in jail. The victim in the robbery identified him as one of the robbers.

Rich said witnesses` accounts can be extremely unreliable and have led to innocent people being convicted of crimes they didn`t commit.

“We`re happy with the result, but it`s scary,” Rich said.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

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