Albuquerque teen convicted of killing woman trying to get her stolen car back
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A 14-year-old is now a convicted murderer, for what he did two years ago, when he shot and killed a woman trying to get her stolen car back. However, because of his age, he can only be locked up for six years.
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Second-degree murder was the jury's verdict Wednesday in the case against 14-year-old Marcos Barela. Barela was on trial this week after being accused of murdering 23-year-old Sydney Wilson on July 31, 2023.
Wilson reported her car was stolen from her apartment complex to police, but when dispatch told her officers could only respond if the car remained stationary, she took things into her own hands. Wilson tracked her car using GPS.
Wilson eventually followed her car to the Smith's parking lot on Central Ave. and Coors Blvd. When she got there, she saw teens inside her car and confronted them. One of those teens, Barela, shot and killed Wilson.
'We have to put a stop to what's going on with this teen violence. It's getting out of control and out of hand, and I honestly feel like the teens are running our city. They're running our state,' Sydney's Sister Crystal Miller told KRQE outside of Children's Court on Wednesday.
Wilson's family described her as an artist with a great sense of humor. They said she was going to school for child psychology.
New Mexico law states the maximum penalty in Barela's case is a commitment to a juvenile facility until he is 21. Wilson's family is frustrated with the juvenile justice system and said the ones who pay the price are the victims and their families. 'Parents that allow a child to be out running amok at 9 o'clock at night and not know anything about it, they need to be held responsible too,' Sydney's mom, Deidra Wilson, told KRQE News 13.
Barela was facing a first-degree murder charge, but the jury opted for the lesser charge of second-degree murder. While Barela may only be held until he is 21, in New Mexico, an adult faces up to 18 years behind bars for second-degree murder.
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