Harris County: 3 teens accused in rideshare driver’s death
Three teens, aged 13–15-years-old, have been arrested for the September death of a Harris County rideshare driver, according to the sheriff. FOX 26’s Jillian Hartmann spoke to an attorney about what could be next for the teens in court.
HARRIS COUNTY – Three teenagers were arrested and charged in connection with the murder of a Marine Corps veteran, according to the Harris County sheriff. A Houston attorney tells FOX 26 that some of them could be tried as adults in court.
Harris County: Teens arrested for driver’s death
The backstory:
On Thursday, Sheriff Gonzalez announced that three teens were arrested for the death of 28-year-old Jake Hieu Quoc Nguyen. He was found shot and killed on Lakewood Forest Drive at about 11 p.m.
Nguyen was reportedly working as an Uber driver, and three teens allegedly shot him, stole his vehicle and property, and fled the scene.
According to the sheriff, a 15-year-old has been charged with capital murder, and a 14-and 13-year-old were charged with tampering with evidence.
MORE: 3 teens arrested in rideshare driver’s shooting death, sheriff says
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family seeking justice after Marine veteran found shot to death
Lawyer speaks on potential court cases
What Could Be Next:
An attorney says the 15-year-old facing capital murder could be tried as an adult.Â
“Because of his age, he’s more than 14 years old, so the DA’s office has a couple of options. They could try him in juvenile court, where he could get a sentence up to 40 years with a possibility of a transfer to the adult prison or parole system once he is an adult,” said attorney Mike Schneider. “The other option, they can seek certification and ask the court to waive its jurisdiction and essentially send that child to the adult criminal system now. Although he could be in the adult system, he could not face the death penalty and could only face a life sentence if the judge or the jury considers the fact he’s a juvenile.”
The 14-year-old and 13-year-old were charged with tampering with evidence. It’s a third-degree felony charge, so they could get a sentence of up to 10 years. The 13-year-old can not be tried as an adult, but the 14-year-old possibly can.Â
“Ultimately, the court would decide whether to keep the case in the juvenile court or to send it to the adult court, but it’s solely the discretion of the DA’s office to decide if they are going to ask the court for that hearing,” said Schneider.
The Source: Previous FOX 26 reporting and Houston Attorney Mike Schneider.