Child or Adult?

Tweet

Earlier today I encountered a blog on one of my friends sites that made me wonder. Its about a 15 year old boy who ran over and killed a 9 year old girl with a stolen truck. (details below) The thing that made me wonder was how many people belived the boy should be tried as a child and protected him in their comments. I personaly think he should be tried as an adult. He is old enough to know the consequenses of his actions. I would like to know what others think... "A 15 year old youth accused of driving his father's truck and killing a 9 year old girl last week, has been charged as an adult and could face 10 to 47 years in prison if convicted. Because he is charged as an adult, the juvenile's name and photo can be released. In a press conference Tuesday, District Attorney Ken said the boy is Carlos, who lives with his parents a few blocks from where the incident happened. He's been charged with six felonies: vehicular homicide, vehicular assult, hit-and-run involving death, hit-and-run involving serious injury and two counts of second-degree assault. He also was charged with traffic offenses of not having proof of insurance and not having a driver's license. Buck said the two second-degree assault charges carry the heaviest sentences, 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted. The boy is accused of taking his father's pickup without permission on Aug. 27 and hitting two girls, both 9 years old, and then leaving the scene. Jasmine was killed. Her cousin, Ivette, was hospitalized with serious injuries. The girls' family was not available for comment on the case Tuesday. Ivette is home now, released from Children's Hospital late last week. Carlos is being helf without bond in the Youth Detention Center and will be transferred to the County Jail because of the adult charges. The law requires that even though he will be held as an adult, he must be segregated from the adult population of the jail. Court affidavits in the case show that witnesses to the crash took the license plate numbers to police, who traced the plates to Carlos father, Reynaldo, and officers found the red pickup truck inside the garage. The father said his son has used the truck without permission before, and last week he removed the license plates and hid them, sothe son couldn't take the vehicle. Police said the boy found the plates, put them back on the truck, then drove to the 500 block of 25th Street, where the two girls were playing on a scooter and bicycle. Witnesses said the driver was squealing the tires of the truck in forward and reverse, when it backed up and hit the two 9 year old girls. Although witneses told police the truck ran over one girl's arm a second time as he left the scene, Buck couldn't confirm that allegation. However, court records show the boy told officers he "got scared" after hitting the girls, so he took the truck home, closed it inside the garage, and put the license plates back under a couch cushion, where his father originally hid them. Contacted at home Tuesday, the boy's father said he didn't want to comment on the case."