Phila. homicide detective in the middle of a murder scandal released on bail

The former homicide detective charged with covering up a slaying allegedly committed by his girlfriend has been released on bail, according to court documents.

Ron Dove surrendered to police Thursday morning and was later charged with hindering apprehension, conspiracy, and related crimes. He was arraigned later that day and released after posting $25,000 bail.

Dove, a 16-year veteran of the force when he was fired in November 2013, is accused of helping his girlfriend, Erica Sanchez, flee the state after she allegedly fatally stabbed her estranged lover, Cesar Vera.

Prosecutors say Dove paid for Sanchez's hotel room in Upstate New York, hid her car in a garage, and repeatedly concealed his knowledge of her whereabouts from investigators searching for her.

A grand jury investigation, headed by Assistant District Attorney Frank G. Fina, is still looking into matters related to the disgraced detective, District Attorney Seth Williams said Thursday.

Investigators have told The Inquirer that Dove's conduct in two other unsolved murders has raised suspicion: the case of Leslie Delzingaro, killed in 2010 in a bar owned by Sanchez's father; and the 2012 murder of Melanie Colon and the disappearance of her friend Reynaldo Torres, a case investigators have said may be connected to Vera.

Dove faces no charges in connection with those cases. His next court date is a status hearing set for next Tuesday.