The man accused of tampering with a thrill ride at the North Carolina State Fair had his first court appearance Monday.
Timothy Dwayne Tutterrow is charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting bodily injury.
A judge denied a defense request to reduce his $225,000 bond. Prosecutors are concerned that because he has no ties to the area, he may be a flight risk.
Raleigh attorney Roger Smith, Jr. is representing Tutterrow.
"Well, I think we're very early on in the investigation and I would imagine their legal theories would further evolve and develop over time," Smith said.
"But I can tell you that Tim Tutterrow is a good man and he would never intentionally harm anyone."
Smith describes his client as devastated over what happened last week. Investigators have still not specifically said how they believe the Vortex was tampered with, but they said safety devices had been bypassed. The ride started up while people were getting off Thursday night, injuring five people. Three are still in the hospital.
Tutterrow's next court appearance is scheduled for November 18th.
