A Long Branch man accused of attempting to kill a woman, and then later killing her, also has a pending drug charge.
ELIZABETH -- A man accused of attempting to murder a woman and then months later allegedly killing her had been arrested and jailed on drug charges in between the two assaults, a prosecutor said Friday.
Andre Harris, 32, of Long Branch, is charged with shooting Tyrita Julius, 41, and her daughter in Linden on Nov. 24, 2015, and then subsequently killing Julius after she went to visit a friend in Tinton Falls last March.
In a court hearing Friday, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Jill O'Malley pointed out that in February Harris was arrested on a charge of fraudulently obtaining prescription drugs, and released without bail pending a trial. He was on bail when he allegedly killed Julius.
"Despite the fact that he was released on his own recognizance on those narcotics charges, he was later involved with this murder," O'Malley told Judge Brenda Coppola Cuba.
It is unclear, however, if the drug charge is connected with the attempted murder and murder charges.
Harris and a co-defendant, Jennifer Sweeney, 33, of Tinton Falls, are each charged with killing Julius. Sweeney is also charged with attempted murder of the shooting last November in Linden.
O'Malley's comments Friday came during Harris' first court appearance on the charges of attempting to kill Julius and her 15-year-old daughter last November.
Harris appeared through a television video connection with the Monmouth County jail where he is being held on $1.5 million bail on the murder charge. He barely spoke during he hearing, only giving his address at 228 Joline Ave., Long Branch.
Authorities last week said they found Julius' body buried in the back yard of the Joline Avenue home.
Harris' attorney, Frank McCarthy, of the Public Defender's Office, asked the judge to lower his clients bail from $500,000 to closer to $250,000, the minimum for a charge of attempted murder.
McCarthy, who entered not guilty pleas for his client, said Harris had no prior felony convictions, had worked as a personal trainer, and had four children.
O'Malley opposed the bail reduction, saying Harris was not employed full-time and that he faced two counts of attempted murder.
Cuba left the bail at $500,000 for the attempted murder case.
On Thursday, a judge in Monmouth County lowered Sweeney's bail for the murder charge from $1.5 million to $1.25 million.
Sweeney had been a close friend of Julius, according to the victim's family and friends, and Sweeney's lawyer.
Authorities say Julius was shot four times, and her daughter was wounded, as they were getting in their car in front of the Linden home in November 2015.
Julius was still recovering from her wounds when on March 8 she was reported missing after failing to return from a trip to Long Branch where she had gone to visit Sweeney, authorities said.
An intense search was conducted. Last week, authorities arrested Sweeney and Harris after Julius' body was found.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.