North Carolina officials have set a Durham serial offender’s bond at $5 million after he was charged in a fatal, impaired driving crash that killed a school teacher and injured her adopted son, who has Down syndrome.

Nathane Blackmon, 42, is charged with felony death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, felony drug possession and simple drug possession in connection with the January death of Dawn Tucker, 67, and the injury of her son, 34-year-old Joey Tucker.

“Dawn welcomed Joey into her life as a foster parent when he was 20 months old. Their bond grew strong, and she later adopted him, becoming not only his mother but also his fiercest advocate and supporter,” Dawn Tucker’s obituary states. “Her love and dedication to Joey, who has Down Syndrome, was constant and unwavering.”

The obituary further describes the 67-year-old mother as having “an indomitable spirit and a compassionate heart.”

“I’ve been working homicide cases for years. You see people go from a peeping tom to assault on a female, and they tend to escalate. It’s the same thing — whether it’s property crimes, drugs. … At what point are we saying enough’s enough?” Mikels said. “We’re going to put you in jail and there’s going to be a penalty for what you do. And the real crux of the matter is that: when you’re in jail, guess what? You’re not out committing crimes anymore.”

To make matters more complicated, the Durham Police Department, like many others across the country, is dealing with significant staffing shortages. Police are pulled thin in responding to emergencies, and it becomes “very frustrating to officers” when “they’re dealing with the same guys over and over and over,” he said.

The Durham Police Department referred Fox News Digital to the Durham District Attorney’s Office, which did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Blackmon’s public defender, Monica Burnette, could not be reached for comment.