
Teens charged with murder nearly a year after cyclist on way to work was intentionally hit by stolen vehicle
Video released Tuesday shows the moments leading up to when New Mexico police say a bicycle commuter was intentionally struck by a stolen vehicle full of youths and killed.
The release of the cellphone video comes a day after the teenager who police said was driving was arrested on a charge of murder, Albuquerque police said Tuesday.
The 13-year-old accused of driving and the two others in the car when the cyclist was killed last year are 'runaways' and 'dropouts,' Mayor Tim Keller said at a news conference.
'These children are murderers,' he said.
The passengers were 15 and 11 at the time. The youngest is too young for criminal prosecution, police said.
On Tuesday night, the department announced that the 11-year-old was taken into custody, but that they were still looking for the 15-year-old.
The state Children, Youth & Families Department will take custody of the 11-year-old and evaluate him, police said. he was taken into custody by that agency in June, police said.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said at Tuesday's news conference with the mayor that the boy at the time could not be prosecuted or confined effectively because of his age.
The older boys have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of a collision involving injury or death, and unlawful possession of a firearm, Albuquerque police said in the statement.
The state public defender's juvenile unit for the Albuquerque area did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Juveniles in children's court are automatically assigned public defenders, according to the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender.
Scott Dwight Habermehl, 63, of Corrales, a community 16 miles north of Albuquerque, was killed May 29. The Ph.D physicist was bicycling to his job as a military contractor at Sandia National Laboratories when he was struck, police said.
"Scott was riding his bike with his helmet in a bike lane with a safety light on when he was struck by a car, and the car left," Albuquerque Police Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock said at the news conference.
According to a detailed obituary published by Daniels Family Funerals & Cremation, Habermehl's contributions at Sandia, where he was also remembered as a mentor and scholar, led to six patents and included work on keeping computer microchips resistant to radiation.
"These are techniques that are still used to this day for national security and space applications," the obituary stated.
He and partner Jamie Philpott, an Albuquerque-area veterinarian, have two grown sons, it said, adding that Habermehl recently completed his construction of a home in Leadville, Colorado, a historic town surrounded by some of the Rocky Moutains' highest peaks, as a family retreat.
The case was initially considered a hit-and-run, officials said.
"The case was actually closed pending further leads," Hartsock, who oversees the police department's Criminal Investigation Division and any homicide probes, said at the news conference.
In February, two youths reported the existence of the video to a parent and school administrator, police said. It was allegedly taken from inside the stolen vehicle that struck Habermehl and later posted to Instagram, Hartsock said.
The video helped investigators identify the three youths and obtain arrest warrants last week for two of them, according to police. The youths had previous run-ins with law enforcement and were relatively easy to find, the commander said.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina described the three youths as friends who were on officers' radar about this time last year.
Police said the recording includes audio in which the 15-year-old can be heard encouraging the 13-year-old who they say was driving to "just bump him, brah." The video indicates the vehicle accelerated before the cyclist was hit, police said in Tuesday's statement.
"The front passenger, believed to be the 11-year-old who was waving a handgun, ducked and laughed as the front, passenger side of the vehicle struck Habermehl," police said in the statement.
The statement continued, "There were loud sounds, including metal flexing, as the momentum of the crash carried Habermehl and his bicycle on top, and off, the passenger side of the vehicle."
The 13-year-old was taken into custody on Monday. He was on juvenile probation and probation officials were able to help police locate him, Medina said.
The 15-year-old who police are looking last year was suspected in doorbell thefts, participating in a $15,000 burglary of beer, alcohol and cigarettes, and a minor-injury shooting, police said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
15 hours ago
- The Independent
Family pay tribute to ‘funny, caring' boy, 14, stabbed to death in Manchester
A 14-year-old boy who died after being stabbed in Manchester on Sunday has been named by Greater Manchester Police as Ibrahima Seck, with his family paying tribute to him as "funny, caring and hardworking".


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Age you can legally leave children at home alone in England as summer holidays approach
SUMMER holidays are just around the corner, it's best to be prepared, including knowing how long kids can stay home alone. It can be hard for parents who are working or have errands to run during the holidays to always find care for their children. 3 3 Even nipping to the shops quickly can tough with kids, but leaving them at home could lead to trouble for the parents. So the question is - at what age can you legally leave children at home on their own in England? Currently, there is no law to say what age when you can leave a child on their own, but it is a criminal offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. You can be fined or sent to jail if caught. This is because it is a crime to leave a child unsupervised "in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health". The government recommends parents use their own judgement on how mature their child is before leaving them alone, whether it's at home or in a car. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) gives a more comprehensive guide. "Every child matures differently, so it would be almost impossible to have a 'one size fits all' law," it says on its website. The NSPCC recommends children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time. Children under 16 years of age should not be left alone in a property overnight. Essential Guidelines for Leaving Children Home Alone in England In addition, babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone. The NPCC's Helen Westerman went into greater detail and said parents needed to take into consideration a couple of critical factors. This includes how they feel about their children playing outside unsupervised, and also how their child feels about it themselves. WHAT TO CONSIDER HELEN has said that parents should consider these six things if they are deciding to leave their child home alone. 1. Are they prepared to be left home alone? - Think about how your child would handle an emergency situation if they are home alone. Helen says: "Think about if they can deal with risks, will they behave responsibly, will they be safe?" 2. Undertake prudent measures - Think about the key steps that you would need to take to make sure your child has everything they need, like spare keys and access to food and a bathroom. 3. Never leave babies or toddlers on their own 4. Be in the know about their unsupervised outings - When your child is out on their own, make sure you know where they are going, who they are with, what they are doing and how far they're travelling. 5. Share essential contact info - Helen says: "Make sure they know a trusted adult's full name and address, and have two trusted adults' phone numbers." 6. Prepare your child - Make sure your child knows how to handle different situations. Helen advises: "Ask them what they'd do if they hurt themselves or if a stranger knocks on the door." "Lots of parents will be thinking about whether it's safe to leave their children at home safely, and if they're old enough to leave the house unsupervised," she told the Liverpool Echo. "As well as determining if a child is ready to be left alone, many parents will also find balancing work with the school break quite challenging, especially considering the rising child costs and the cost of living crisis, which is placing additional strain on families." Helen added: "As children get older, it's common for them to want more freedom and learn to be independent. "This is an important part of growing up, but we know there can be a lot to think about for parents. "As every child is different, we recommend building up their independence at their pace and checking in with them to make sure they feel safe." 3


The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Harrowing new details revealed in autopsy report after grandma accused of murdering two grandsons in their rural home
TWO children found dead in their rural home were allegedly drugged before being smothered, an autopsy has revealed. Aussie brothers Max, 6, and Sam Johnson, 7, were found dead on May 5 - with their grandma arrested at the scene. 2 2 A post-mortem examination has found traces of prescription drugs in the boys' systems, according to the Daily Telegraph. Police allege their grandma, Kathleen Heggs, 66, gave her grandsons the medications before suffocating them with a pillow. Heggs allegedly sent a text to authorities saying the two boys were dead and that she planned to take her own life. When cops arrived at the scene, they found the boys dead in separate rooms and Heggs with self-inflicted injuries. She was arrested and taken to the mental health unit at Orange Hospital before being transferred into custody. On May 21, Heggs was charged with two counts of domestic violence murder. The siblings were reportedly sleeping when the alleged murders occurred. Heggs, the sole carer for the boys, moved with them over a year ago to a home on the outskirts of Coonabarabran in rural New South Wales. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the move was prompted after the woman "witnessed an incident involving her family too graphic to publish details of, and became known to police as a victim of crime". The boys' dad told the Daily Telegraph that he and his partner had trusted Heggs to care for the children, as they were both struggling with mental health issues. The couple had not seen the children for five years before their deaths. "This is not how we were meant to get them back," he said. "We are completely broken... but those boys deserve a good send off, and that's what we are going to give them." The boys will be buried wearing their karate uniforms, each with a yellow belt they were due to earn the same week their lives were tragically cut short. A family friend, who has a son the same age as the boys, said he would see them at karate lessons, football matches and school. He said there were no clear signs the family was struggling, describing Heggs as a "beautiful lady" and the boys as "cute little kids, full of energy". He said locals have been really hard-hit by the news. "This is a tragedy, and it's affecting so many. Petty crime happens and that, but it's a very safe community, we don't have problems like the cities." It comes as investigators found human remains on Friday in the search for Aussie teen Pheobe Bishop, who vanished three weeks ago. Pheobe's two housemates James Wood and Tanika Bromley were charged with murder on Thursday, along with two counts of interfering with a corpse.