Vicious killing of 14-year-old Angel Mendoza is so heinous that ‘Raise the Age' won't apply for alleged teen killers
The bloodthirsty teens who allegedly stabbed, pistol-whipped and beat 14-year-old Angel Mendoza to death Tuesday won't benefit from New York's controversial 'Raise the Age' law, experts said.
The biggest advantages handed to young defendants under the arguably soft-on-crime 2019 law — which upped the age of adult criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 — won't apply to the murder charges facing the quartet of youthful suspects, two of whom are juveniles.
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'When you're talking about violent crimes of the first order — murder, violent, violent acts — they still are going to get prosecuted in [Manhattan] Supreme Court, and if it's a very, very serious violent crime, they are still certain to be facing very, very serious consequences,' said Mark Bederow, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor.
3 A group of teens stabbed, pistol-whipped and beat Angel Mendoza, 14, to death Tuesday.
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3 The bloody slaying unfolded in Williamsbridge Oval Playground in Norwood.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post
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3 Two of the four alleged killers are juveniles.
Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Two of the alleged killers — Andrew Ansah, 18, and Jordan Williams, 18 — are adults and will be tried in Manhattan criminal court.
A 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old boy also charged with the same raps as the 18-year-olds — murder, manslaughter, gang assault and criminal possession of weapon — but because of their age, they likely will head to the 'Youth Part' of Manhattan criminal court, Bederow said.
The Youth Part features judges specifically trained to deal with young defendants and also offers additional social services.
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But the juveniles won't likely be eligible for lighter sentencing guidelines — often afforded to youths facing lesser crimes — because the charges are so serious. Still, Bederow said their young age could help them.
'A judge almost certainly would take into account their age and circumstances in considering the possible difference between a 16-year-old and a hard-boiled 30-year-old killer,' he said. 'But at the end of the day, you're still talking about murder — the sentences can be severe.'
Many New York lawmakers and law enforcement officials have called for changes to Raise the Age, arguing it has helped lead to a surge in juvenile crimes.
But supporters contend Raise the Age helps young criminals receive resources to help stop them from becoming repeat offenders.
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Leandra Feliz — the mother of 15-year-old Junior Guzman, who was killed in 2018 by a gang of men who dragged him from a Bronx bodega — argued to The Post on Friday that Raise the Age only helps gang members.
Feliz said gang members, who can be wildly different ages, should all face the same charges.
'Pass a new bill that everyone involved gets the same sentence,' she said.
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