Current:Home > Stocks4 Las Vegas teenagers charged with murder as adults in fatal beating of high school classmate-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
4 Las Vegas teenagers charged with murder as adults in fatal beating of high school classmate
View Date:2024-12-24 00:21:52
Four teens were charged with murder in Las Vegas in the fatal beating of their high school classmate that was recorded and shared widely on social media, prosecutors said.
Las Vegas police said multiple students participated in the Nov. 1 brawl that left 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr. dead. At least eight students between the ages of 13 and 17 have been arrested so far.
Two 16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds were charged as adults with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit battery. The four teens charged this week will remain held without bail, but a judge Tuesday granted a joint request from prosecutors and defense attorneys to transfer them from the county jail to the juvenile detention center.
Prosecutors decided against a first-degree murder charge because the evidence indicates the beating was not a premeditated act, according to District Attorney Steve Wolfson.
USA TODAY is not naming the students because they are juveniles.
What happened to Jonathan Lewis Jr.?
Lewis died days after a fight on Nov. 1 in an alley near Rancho High School with his classmates. Authorities said as soon as the first punch was thrown, ten people swarmed him, forced him to the ground, and began to kick, punch, and stomp on him.
Police believe the fight was over a pair of headphones and vape pen stolen from Jonathan’s friend, but once they were all in the alley, it was Jonathan who fought instead.
After the fight, a passerby found the teenager unconscious in the alley and carried him to the school, where staff performed CPR. First responders rushed him to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where it was determined Jonathan suffered from "non-survivable head trauma."
Jonathan Lewis Sr., an electrician who lives in Austin, Texas, said his son was "a hero" who stuck up for his friend.
"That's just the kind of person he was," Lewis, 38, told USA TODAY. He described his son as an avid hip-hop fan who liked to make digital art.
Lewis said when he got the phone call that his son was attacked and in the hospital, he could "could barely walk."
Police suspect 10 people involved
Videos of the incident, which police officials have called "extremely disturbing" and "void of humanity,” circulated social media and were used by investigators to identify eight of the 10 suspects.
Last week, police and the FBI coordinated arrests of the eight students and executed search warrants at nine homes throughout Las Vegas. Authorities said clothing worn by teenagers in the video and cellphones were recovered.
The students arrested and not formally charged this week are awaiting separate hearings because they are all under the age of 16.
In Nevada, a teenager accused of murder can be charged as an adult if they were 13 or older at the time of the alleged crime. But they are entitled to a certification hearing when a family court judge weighs the evidence and the teen’s history before deciding whether they will be transferred to the adult court system.
Teens 16 or older accused of murder in Nevada can be charged as adults without a certification hearing.
Contributing: Associated Press
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
- 'Suits' stars reunite at Golden Globes without Meghan: 'We don't have her number'
- Franz Beckenbauer was a graceful and visionary ‘libero’ who changed the face of soccer
- Maryland governor signs executive order guiding AI use
- Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
- Snow, flooding, tornadoes: Storm systems bringing severe weather to US: Updates
- Singer, actress Halle Bailey announces birth of son: Welcome to the world my halo
- Haitian judge issues arrest warrants accusing former presidents and prime ministers of corruption
- Judge recuses himself in Arizona fake elector case after urging response to attacks on Kamala Harris
- Cable car brought down by fallen tree in Austrian skiing area, injuring 4 people on board
Ranking
- Giuliani’s lawyers after $148M defamation judgment seek to withdraw from his case
- California sets a special election for US House seat left vacant by exit of former Speaker McCarthy
- Are eggs good for you? Here's the healthiest way to eat them.
- A look at recent crashes and safety problems involving Boeing planes
- Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday light display in Manhattan changing up this season
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom sets date for special election to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy
- Sterling K. Brown recommends taking it 'moment to moment,' on screen and in life
- Can Congress land a deal on Ukraine aid and border security as lawmakers return to Washington?
Recommendation
-
'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
-
US Rep. Larry Bucshon of Indiana won’t seek reelection to 8th term, will retire from Congress
-
Opening statements expected in trial over constitutional challenge to Georgia voting system
-
Classes resume at Michigan State building where 2 students were killed
-
Falling scaffolding plank narrowly misses pedestrians at Boston’s South Station
-
Spain investigates contamination of Atlantic shore by countless plastic pellets spilled from ship
-
NFL Black Monday: Latest on coaches fired, front-office moves
-
He died in prison. His corpse was returned without a heart. Now his family is suing.