Four teens accused of murdering Las Vegas students plead not guilty
Nearly half of the teens who allegedly beat and trampled an unarmed 17-year-old Las Vegas boy pleaded not guilty Thursday. You are accused of killing Jonathan Lewis. On November 1, 2023, the teen was brutally attacked in an alley near Rancho High School.
The cases against four of the nine young defendants are set to go to trial, Las Vegas' KLAS television station reports. The defendants are Damien Hernandez (18), Dontral Beaver (16), Gianni Robinson (17) and Trevion Treavion Randolph (16 years old). Both men face second-degree murder and conspiracy charges after a jury returned indictments last week.
On Thursday, Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones set April 1 as a trial date for Beaver and Robinson. Trial dates have not yet been set for Randolph and Hernandez.
Lawyers representing the accused teenagers claimed they acted in self-defense. The defendant's legal team said Lewis threw the first punch, sparking the fight and that another boy next to Lewis had a knife.
Five other teenagers have also been charged with murder. Prosecutors want them to be tried like adults. Ten suspects have yet to be arrested.
The debate started with headphones
The fatal beating was sparked by stolen wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen, according to KLAS. According to USA Today, a group of teenagers stole the items from a young child and threw them in the trash.
911 was called after the boy suffered serious head injuries and a school nurse attempted to perform CPR.
He was bleeding from his head, had bumps on his head, and was scratched on his elbow," the caller told authorities."His nose was bleeding and his face was blue. "
Lewis was taken to University Hospital, where he was placed on life support. He died a week after the attack. An autopsy from the Clark County Coroner's Office determined that Lewis died of blunt force trauma, causing his death to be ruled a homicide.
Lewis decided to protect his little friend, but was soon attacked.
The victim is the hero
"Jonathan was just trying to protect his friends. He was a hero," the victim's father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., told USA TODAY.
We all need to be held accountable for our decisions," Lewis Sr. said in a statement to KLAS. "To me, an important part of justice is actually recognizing the fundamentals of why our children are choosing violence at this age. The reasons are the horrors of ongoing resource conflicts and dependence on broken systems, as well as our own self-regulated prosperity and our "build your own health." Also a dad. "
An online fundraiser for the victims and their families, GoFundMe, has so far raised $136,505.
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Source: www.casino.org
