New Mexico Boy Accused of Shooting, Killing Classmate Watched His Own Dad Shoot Someone: Lawyer
School friends of murdered 11 year old Rhys Jones lay flowers at the location of his shooting outside a bar in Liverpool, north-west England, 23 August 2007. The fatal shooting of Jones in Liverpool is the latest incident in a spate of gun crime that has rocked Britain in the past six months. PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

A judge ruled Tuesday that the New Mexico boy accused of killing a classmate will remain behind bars, despite his lawyer arguing that his home life and mental health issues should be considered, especially after witnessing his father shoot someone.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, the lawyer of Juan Saucedo Jr. revealed that the 13-year-old suspect was 9-year-old when he witnessed his father, Jose Saucedo Sr., shoot someone.

New Mexico Boy: A Witness to a Shooting

The lawyer said the incident happened in 2018 when the New Mexico boy was reportedly sitting in his mother's vehicle. His father allegedly pulled out a gun and started to shoot victim Alex Placencio at a high school. Placencio, who was shot on the hand and leg, survived the attack.

At the time, the District Attorney's Office declined to press charges against older Saucedo, citing self-defense and insufficient evidence. But the DA is now saying they are considering pressing charges against Saucedo Sr. and his wife for the shooting.

According to CrimeOnline, the shooting incident involving the younger Saucedo happened at around 12:45 p.m. on Friday, during the lunch break at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was just the third day of classes for the academic year in the state.

One of the witnesses, Amari Asbury, an eighth-grade student, said that students were fighting outside their classroom when one of them suddenly took out a gun.

"He brought out the gun, cocked it and all you hear is boom, boom, boom. Everybody just starts running," Asbury said.

A police official said a school resource officer was able to intervene and de-escalate the situation by herself. The official added that the resource officer then subsequently detained a 13-year-old boy, who was later identified as Juan Saucedo Jr. Saucedo Jr. allegedly fired the gun, resulting in his own classmate's death.

The victim, Bennie Hargrove, also 13, lost his life when the suspect shot him. No one else was killed during the incident.

New Mexico Boy Faces Mental Health Issue

Saucedo Jr. appeared at the Children's Court in Albuquerque on Tuesday, which marked his first court appearance since the NM school shooting incident. His court-appointed lawyer, Dennica Torres, argued that the teen should be at his home with his parents while receiving mental health counseling instead of being detained.

Torres said that she does not think incarceration was the appropriate sanction for Saucedo Jr., especially for his age, immaturity, and mental health issues. Torres noted that they asked the court to consider making the suspect CCP-eligible with strict conditions and could be released to his mother and father.

Despite the lawyer's argument, Judge Catherine Begaye decided against releasing Saucedo and stated that the suspect would be a danger to society and himself.

The family of the victim, Bennie Hargrove, including his grandmother, Vanessa Sawyer, who appeared virtually in court to watch the proceedings, asked Begaye to keep the suspect in jail.

Sawyer said that the suspect went and took out a gun that he carried in his backpack and showed it to others with the intent to use it. Sawyer added that the suspect shot his grandson four times.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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