Latest news with #Habermehl
Metro
17-07-2025
- Metro
Boy, 11, charged with murder was wanted over string of other violent crimes
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video CCTV appears to show an 11-year-old boy robbing a shop in the days before he was involved in an alleged fatal hit and run in a stolen a car. Messiah Hayes, now 12, has been charged with first-degree murder, with police alleging that four young boys deliberately mowed down cyclist Scott Habermehl, 63, in May last year. Video of the crash was filmed from inside the car and spread on social media. It showed the vehicle swerving into a bike lane in Albuquerque, in New Mexico in the US before hitting Habermehl. The children can be heard egging on the driver to 'bump' the cyclist at 15 to 20 mph. The video allegedly showed the 11-year-old waving a handgun moments before the crash. Officers had no leads as to who killed the cyclist until they received an anonymous tip-off about the video in February this year. Johnathan Overbay, now 13, pleaded guilty in April for being behind the wheel of the car and will stay in juvenile prison until the age of 21. Elijah Engelking, 16, and William Garcia, 16, are also facing murder charges for their alleged involvement in the killing. In new video, revealed by NewsNation, 11-year-old Hayes was allegedly part of a 'smash-and-grab' at an alcohol store less than two weeks before the bicycle crash. The CCTV footage shows four boys blasting through the front doors of the shop before running inside. The youths then proceed to smash alcohol bottles on the floor before running off with some goods. Before Habermehl's death, Hayes was also wanted in connection to break-ins at a primary school and two gun crimes, where he allegedly shot and injured someone. Given the boy's age, he cannot be charged as an adult. The area's attorney, Sam Bregman, said: 'We know that this individual is connected to at least three other incidents. … It is really sad. 'It's a juvenile justice system right now that is really in shambles in New Mexico, and we have to do something about it.' More Trending Speaking at the sentencing of Overbay in May, Habermehl's wife spoke of loneliness since his death. She said: 'They will have to find their forgiveness somewhere else because it won't come from me. 'I can't forgive. I won't forget and I won't forgive. I also won't hate. 'I am scared to grow older without him. I am incredibly lonely.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man accused of murdering ex-fiancée at luxury hotel 'waved ambulance goodbye' MORE: Body found in search for missing British hiker Matthew Hall in Italy MORE: More than 20 surrogate children taken into care after parents tricked birth mums
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
One year after torn ACL, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl fights his way back
UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl smiles after scoring a touchdown against Boise State during the 2023 L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press) Just over a year ago, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl endured the toughest moment of his Bruins career — a spring injury that abruptly cut short his push to become a go-to starter. '1 year ago, today. 2 surgeries later,' Habermehl wrote on his X account, marking the anniversary of his torn ACL with a video and photo from the day of the injury. Advertisement Last spring, Habermehl suffered a noncontact injury minutes before practice ended — a moment those in attendance described as filled with screams of anguish. It left new head coach DeShaun Foster visibly distraught. The past 365 days have been an uphill battle for the redshirt senior, who has spent the past year working his way back from injury — a journey tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel described as especially difficult to overcome. UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl scores a touchdown against rival USC at the Coliseum on Nov. 18, 2023. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 'He'll be honest with you — I think it's been hard,' Neuheisel said. 'When you've been out that long and you want it so bad, it's hard to feel like you're away from the team.' Advertisement The plan isn't to rush Habermehl back onto the field, according to Neuheisel. Habermehl has spent much of his time by Neuheisel's side, watching film and standing on the sideline with the practice script in hand, stepping in as 'Coach Habermehl.' Habermehl has embraced a leadership role, coaching up the younger tight ends on the roster. While not ideal, his absence has allowed the group to earn valuable reps. The tight end group features a mix of talent and experience, with freshmen Noah Flores and Dylan Sim developing more quickly than expected for incoming players. Then there's Peter Bario, the former defensive end turned end-zone target, and Jack Pederson, the redshirt sophomore coming into his own as a leader and the presumed starter until Habermehl returns to contend for the job. Although Pederson is fighting for a starting role, he has been supportive of Habermehl, driving him to the physical therapist during the early stages of his recovery. Advertisement Read more: UCLA opens spring football workouts with all 19 transfers in place 'I remember numerous times we picked him up or took him,' Pederson said. 'It's tough to move around, and he was trying to do whatever he could to get back as fast as possible. So any way we could help — taking him to physical therapy, taking him wherever he needed. And he was never afraid to give a shout to any of us, because we'd be the first ones there to help him out.' 'He's a great teammate, but an even better friend,' Pederson added. For now, Habermehl's recovery has been gradual. He has spent most of UCLA's spring practice on the sideline, mixing in resistance band work and box jumps. Advertisement During the past few weeks, however, Neuheisel says the veteran tight end has started participating in team walk-throughs and teaching periods, showing noticeable improvement in his speed and taking meaningful strides in his recovery. 'He's feeling great,' Neuheisel said. 'He's running faster — he hit like 18 miles an hour. He'll be ready to go for fall camp, and I know he's fired up for it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
23-03-2025
- USA Today
Kids' joy ride in stolen car ends with bicyclist killed. Should they face murder charges?
Kids' joy ride in stolen car ends with bicyclist killed. Should they face murder charges? Boys, 11 and 13, are being charged with murder after a hit-and-run in New Mexico. How young is too young to be charged with murder? Depends what state you're in. Show Caption Hide Caption Video shows moments before New Mexico cyclist was fatally hit Police say three boys, including an 11-year-old, were accused in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of 63-year-old bicyclist, Scott Habermehl. Police say a video on Instagram shows three boys in a stolen car purposely hitting a cyclist. Two boys, ages 11 and 13 at the time of the incident, are being charged with murder. Twenty-six states have established a minimum age for prosecution. New Mexico is not one of them. After an avid cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run during his morning commute last year, police in New Mexico were at a loss for who could have committed the crime. Months later, an anonymous tip would lead investigators to Instagram, where a video was circulating that appears to show Scott Dwight Habermehl, 63, being mowed down by a car with three boys inside. The video captured a disturbing conversation with a 13-year-old driver and now 16-year-old boy discussing hitting Habermehl, police said. An 11-year-old boy in the passenger seat waved a handgun and laughed as his side of the vehicle struck the cyclist. Habermehl was on his way to work at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque at about 4:40 a.m. on May 29, 2024, according to police. He was in a dedicated bike lane. The 13-year-old was charged with murder. Prosecutors say the 11-year-old and 16-year-old will be, too. Police initially said the 11-year-old was too young to face murder charges, but the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office later clarified that was not the case. USA TODAY is not identifying the children because authorities have not said whether they will be tried as adults. The arrests come after a rise in homicides committed by children driven in part by social media, loss of supports during the pandemic and an increase in the availability of guns. The shocking, deadly joyride in a stolen car in New Mexico has once again raised questions about how to hold children responsible for violent crimes. How young is too young to be charged with murder? Twenty-six states have established a minimum age for prosecution, according to the National Juvenile Justice Network. They range from age 7 in Florida to age 13 in Maryland, though some states also make exceptions for certain types of violent crimes. In New Mexico, anyone under 18 can technically be prosecuted for any crime, according to Roberta Yurcic, an attorney in Albuquerque who has represented juvenile offenders. From January 2023 to July 2024, there were 20 cases of murder charges against juveniles in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, according to District Attorney Sam Bregman. To secure a first-degree murder conviction, prosecutors typically must prove the defendant intended to kill the victim, Yurcic said. A defense attorney could argue that a child does not have the mental capacity to form such intent, she said. Even if they aren't tried as adults, children can be sentenced as adults in New Mexico if a judge determines they won't be susceptible to treatment in available juvenile facilities. The judge must weigh a child's ability to be rehabilitated against any public safety risk. New Mexico has banned the sentencing of children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Start your day informed: Sign up for USA TODAY's Daily Briefing morning newsletter. A new strategy: Parents sentenced, principal charged with failing to prevent shootings When young people commit violent acts, prosecutors across the country are increasingly widening the scope of accountability to include educators, parents and others who fail to report concerning behavior, sometimes in addition to or in lieu of charging the children themselves. For example, in Virginia, an assistant principal and a mother faced charges after a 6-year-old shot his first grade teacher in 2023. Parents have also faced prison time and criminal charges after school shootings in Michigan and Georgia. It's not clear whether police in New Mexico will expand the scope of their investigation. Killings committed by kids on the rise Though murder and violent crime in the United States has decreased in recent years, homicides committed by children have risen dramatically, jumping 65% from 315 in 2016 to 521 in 2022, according to a report in September from the Council on Criminal Justice. Though alarming, the increase is nowhere near the peak reached in the 1990s, when thousands of children 17 and younger were charged with murder, according to the Department of Justice. Those numbers fell sharply around the turn of the century, and by 2020, just 930 young people were arrested in murder cases, that report found. Experts have told USA TODAY the COVID-19 pandemic helped create the conditions for the increase. Americans bought tens of millions of guns, which may be easier for kids to access than parents realize, while children temporarily lost access to key social supports in their communities like violence prevention programs and spent more time online, where experts warn threats and taunts can escalate into deadly conflict. Still, experts emphasized that screen time – or other individual factors – can't be entirely to blame. 'The important issue here is any one of these things in isolation doesn't have the impact,' David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, told USA TODAY. 'But the combination of this horrible perfect storm of challenges all culminated to produce this overall increase in gun violence.' Violence, social media and kids Why shootings and gun violence are surging across the US Here's why we're seeing a sudden rise in gun violence across the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY Deadly attacks by young people have been captured on video and shared on social media before. In September, four Las Vegas teenagers plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter for beating their classmate to death in a violent assault that was recorded and posted online. Muhammad said disputes between kids sometimes originate online, where children and adults alike can make threats and talk about weapons. Research has found there are many reasons why kids post photos of guns, including among gang-affiliated young people, but this online activity can sometimes fuel real-world violence. Yurcic told USA TODAY the main factors that put children at risk of committing violent crimes include poverty, mental health struggles, and being exposed to the criminal justice system or addiction at home. But she said social media has also been a huge factor in the majority of her juvenile cases, and she believes it can lead kids to behave in more extreme ways than they otherwise would. "I really do think that that influences kids' behavior in real life, you know the things that they see on social media, the potential of being able to post something on social media that would gain credibility with their peers," she said. Contributing: Saleen Martin, Kayla Jimenez, Phaedra Trethan and Thao Nguyen
USA Today
21-03-2025
- USA Today
A joy ride in a stolen car ends as kids kill a bicyclist. Should they face murder charges?
A joy ride in a stolen car ends as kids kill a bicyclist. Should they face murder charges? Boys, 11 and 13, are being charged with murder after a hit-and-run in New Mexico. How young is too young to be charged with murder? Depends what state you're in. Show Caption Hide Caption Video shows moments before New Mexico cyclist was fatally hit Police say three boys, including an 11-year-old, were accused in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of 63-year-old bicyclist, Scott Habermehl. Police say a video on Instagram shows three boys in a stolen car purposely hitting a cyclist. Two boys, ages 11 and 13 at the time of the incident, are being charged with murder. Twenty-six states have established a minimum age for prosecution. New Mexico is not one of them. After an avid cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run during his morning commute last year, police in New Mexico were at a loss for who could've committed the crime. Months later, an anonymous tip would lead investigators to Instagram, where a video was circulating that appears to show Scott Dwight Habermehl, 63, being mowed down by a car with three young boys inside. The video captured a disturbing conversation with a 13-year-old driver and now 16-year-old boy discussing hitting Habermehl, police said. An 11-year-old boy in the passenger seat waved a handgun and laughed as his side of the vehicle struck the cyclist. Habermehl was on his way to work at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque at around 4:40 a.m. on May 29, 2024, according to police. He was in a dedicated bike lane. The 13-year-old was charged with murder. Prosecutors say the 11-year-old and 16-year-old will be, too. Police initially said the 11-year-old was too young to face murder charges, but the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office later clarified that was not the case. USA TODAY is not identifying the children because officials have not said if they will be tried as adults. The arrests come after an uptick in homicides committed by children driven in part by social media, loss of supports during the pandemic and an uptick in the availability of guns. The shocking, deadly joy ride in a stolen car in New Mexico has once again raised questions about how to hold children responsible for violent crimes. How young is too young to be charged with murder? Twenty-six states have established a minimum age for prosecution, according to the National Juvenile Justice Network. They range from age 7 in Florida to age 13 in Maryland, though some states also make exceptions for certain types of violent crimes. In New Mexico, anyone under 18 can technically be prosecuted for any crime, according to Roberta Yurcic, an attorney in Albuquerque who has represented juvenile offenders. From January 2023 to July 2024, there were 20 cases of murder charges against juveniles in Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, according to District Attorney Sam Bregman. In order to secure a first-degree murder conviction, prosecutors typically must prove the defendant intended to kill the victim, Yurcic said. A defense attorney could argue that a child does not have the mental capacity to form such intent, she explained. Even if they aren't tried as adults, children can be sentenced as adults in New Mexico if a judge determines they won't be susceptible to treatment in available juvenile facilities. The judge must weigh a child's ability to be rehabilitated against any public safety risk. New Mexico has banned the sentencing of children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A new strategy: Parents sentenced, principal charged with failing to prevent shootings When young people commit violent acts, prosecutors across the country are increasingly widening the scope of accountability to include educators, parents and others who fail to report concerning behavior, sometimes in addition to or in lieu of charging the children themselves. For example, in Virginia, an assistant principal and a mother faced charges after a 6-year-old shot his first grade teacher in 2023. Parents have also faced prison time and criminal charges after school shootings in Michigan and Georgia. It's not clear if police in New Mexico will expand the scope of their investigation. Killings committed by kids on the rise Though murder and violent crime in the United States has decreased in recent years, homicides committed by children have risen dramatically, jumping 65% from 315 in 2016 to 521 in 2022, according to a report in September from the Council on Criminal Justice. While alarming, the uptick is nowhere near the peak reached in the 1990s, when thousands of children 17 and younger were charged with murder, according to the Department of Justice. Those numbers fell sharply around the turn of the century, and by 2020, just 930 young people were arrested in murder cases, that report found. Experts previously told USA TODAY the COVID-19 pandemic helped create the conditions for the recent increase. Americans bought tens of millions of guns, which may be easier for kids to access than parents realize, while children temporarily lost access to key social supports in their communities like violence prevention programs and spent more time online, where experts warn threats and taunts can escalate into deadly conflict. Still, experts emphasized that screen time – or other individual factors – can't be entirely to blame. 'The important issue here is any one of these things in isolation doesn't have the impact,' David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, told USA TODAY. 'But the combination of this horrible perfect storm of challenges all culminated to produce this overall increase in gun violence.' Violence, social media and kids Why shootings and gun violence are surging across the US Here's why we're seeing a sudden rise in gun violence across the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY Deadly attacks by young people have been captured on video and shared on social media before. In September, four Las Vegas teenagers plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter for beating their classmate to death in a violent assault that was recorded and posted online. Muhammad said disputes between kids sometimes originate online, where children and adults alike can make threats and talk about weapons. Research has found there are many reasons why kids post photos of guns, including among gang-affiliated young people, but this online activity can sometimes fuel real-world violence. Yurcic told USA TODAY the main factors that put kids at risk of committing violent crimes include poverty, mental health issues, and being exposed to the criminal justice system or addiction at home. But she said social media has also been a huge factor in the majority of her juvenile cases, and she believes it can lead kids to behave in more extreme ways than they otherwise would. "I really do think that that influences kids' behavior in real life, you know the things that they see on social media, the potential of being able to post something on social media that would gain credibility with their peers," she said. Contributing: Saleen Martin, Kayla Jimenez, Phaedra Trethan and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recent arrests of juveniles accused of murder rattle Roundhouse as session nears end
Mar. 20—SANTA FE — The recent arrests of juvenile suspects — including an 11-year-old boy — in connection with a 2024 hit-and-run homicide in Albuquerque have rattled the Roundhouse in the final days of this year's 60-day session. Several lawmakers cited the case Thursday in discussion of a youthful offender bill that critics say does not go far enough to address a recent increase in violent crime involving juveniles. "It's really disappointing to me this is all we could come up with," said Sen. Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho. "This can't be the answer." Even the bill's Senate sponsor, Democrat Antonio "Moe" Maestas of Albuquerque, acknowledged it had become a "political football" after a House committee added monthly stipends of up to $2,000 for former juvenile delinquents. Those stipends, which had been referred to as "homicide scholarships" by some GOP lawmakers, were stripped out of the bill late Wednesday by a Senate committee. During Thursday's debate in a different Senate committee, Maestas said he was only made aware of the stipends after they had been added to the bill. But he said the measure, House Bill 255, would still make improvements to the current juvenile code, including extending the length of probation for released underage defendants from 90 days to six months. "This gives more flexibility and strength to judges' discretion," Maestas said of the legislation, which still faces several more hurdles in order to make it to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk before the session ends Saturday. While the bill advanced to the Senate floor late Thursday, more sweeping proposals to crack down on juvenile crime have stalled during this year's 60-day session. That includes a bill backed by Bernalillo Country District Attorney Sam Bregman that would have expanded New Mexico's criminal code for violent juvenile offenders. That bill, House Bill 143, stalled in a House committee amid concerns about the rehabilitation of youthful defendants. However, supporters of such legislation have expressed alarm over a recent increase in juvenile crime in New Mexico, even as overall violent crime and property crime have decreased statewide. Specifically, a top deputy in the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office recently told lawmakers there was a 57% increase in cases involving juvenile criminal defendants from 2022 to 2023. Those figures have taken on different dimensions this week, after Albuquerque police officers arrested three juveniles in connection with the May 2024 death of 63-year-old Scott Habermehl in Northeast Albuquerque. Habermehl was biking to work when he was struck by a stolen vehicle. The three boys arrested in the case allegedly recorded a cellphone video in which they discussed intentionally hitting Habermehl. An Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said this week the juveniles — a 16-year-old, 13-year-old and 11-year-old — were identified after detectives learned about the video, which had been posted to social media. The governor and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller both condemned the incident, with Lujan Grisham saying lawmakers' refusal to seriously address juvenile crime during this year's session was "unacceptable." On the Senate floor later Wednesday, Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R-Albuquerque, read the names of victims killed by juvenile offenders and asked colleagues to observe a moment of silence. That included Bennie Hargrove, whose 2021 death on the grounds of Albuquerque's Washington Middle School prompted lawmakers to approve a firearm storage law. "This is something we need to remember in this body as we're passing legislation," Tobiassen said.
