A 63-year-old woman suspected of attempting to suffocate an elderly man was released from a San Diego jail recently after her bail bond was lowered. According to the San Diego Reader, Donna Darling's original bail was set at $500,000, but she was able to leave the facility on August 25 after Superior Court Judge Richard Mills decided to lower the  amount to $10,000, which she was able to post.

Darling was in jail after she was charged with  using a sweater in an attempt to suffocate 92-year-old Benjamin Farber. According to investigators, on August 16, a caretaker caught Darling in Farber's mobile home allegedly in this act. Darling and the man are reported to have a close relationship, and she is expected to take over his estate once he passes.

Darling is not the only southern California resident who was able to leave custody recently thanks to a bail bond. A California college professor was released on a $50,000 Orange County bail bond earlier this summer after he was accused of setting numerous fires at his son's former high school in addition to several other charges. According to The Associated Press, 48-year-old Rainer Reinscheid, a pharmaceutical sciences professor at the University of California, Irvine, was arrested after his behavior became erratic following the suicide of his 14-year-old son. He was arrested in conjunction with five fires that were started in the Irvine area. After his arrest, police say, they found evidence of plans to commit further crimes at the high school, according to the AP.

After the pharmaceutical sciences professor was released on bond, police searched his cellphone for clues and discovered plans he had laid out that included several violent acts to take place on the campus. Investigators told said that Reinscheid had most likely not been the same after his son's death.

Being released on a bail bond can help the apprehended individuals in a number of ways. Contacting a bail bondsman in these types of situations will enable the person to focus on preparing for the next step as well as return to their normal lives and responsibilities. When bail is posted, the individual will generally have to pay 10 percent of the amount set as a fee to the bail bond firm.

Many California jails are overcrowded and some allege that they aren't properly monitored. However, on a bail bond, the individual is able to remain with his or her family and friends prior to a court hearing, which can be comforting and sometimes necessary.