NEW CUMBERLAND — A Hancock County magistrate opted not to lower the bond for an area woman accused of shooting at a man in Chester earlier this month.

Roe Degenhardt Baker, 71, was arrested Sept. 11, after allegedly firing multiple rounds toward Ronald Thomas, 67, according to law enforcement reports, at 1313 Arner Road in Chester.

Baker was transported to an appearance before Hancock County Magistrate Matthew Harvey Wednesday morning; however, the hearing couldn’t immediately be conducted as scheduled due to her lack of legal counsel. Public defender Nick Yurich would be assigned to the case that morning.

Initially Baker had told court personnel she planned on hiring legal counsel. However, on Wednesday, Baker detailed she was unable to do so between cost and the ability to contact anyone through the jail phone due to the background noise.

Baker also detailed a series of medical ailments responsible for her frail appearance in court and had to physically be held up to walk into court by transport officers, who also assisted her in completing the forms.

Yurick decided Baker fit the criteria of indigency and represented her at the status hearing around 90 minutes of her scheduled time.

His requests for a bond reduction from $35,000 cash or surety to $7,500 cash, surety of 10 percent was denied by Harvey.

However, the magistrate agreed to approve the defense’s time waiver and schedule Baker’s next court date, a preliminary hearing for 10 a.m. Thursday n Hancock County magistrate court.

Prosecutors had charged Baker on Sept. 11 with a single count of attempted murder (felony with the possibility of life in prison) and five counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm, after she allegedly shot at Thomas, who reportedly had been remodeling her home in an attempt to force his removal from her property, where she had been allowing him to stay.

She alleges that he not only had volunteered to do the work in exchange for room and board but that he was a squatter whom she had filed eviction papers for. According to prosecutors, Thomas alleges he was supposed to be compensated for the work and had not been.

He was not injured during the shooting.

The 1313 Arner address, where the shooting happened, s being advertised in available area rentals for the winter months,

When checking her 1313 Arner address, it came back to advertising available rentals of the cabin during the winter when the snowbird was planning to be out west.

If Baker indeed manages to post bond, she currently is prohibited to return to the Arner Street address.

If convicted, she faces life in prison.