Photo: Porter Loring Mortuaries
A 14-year-old boy has been accused in Texas of murdering a pregnant woman and her mother earlier this year.
On April 9, authorities found 37-year-old Janette Quiroz dead and her daughter, 18-year-old Bernadette Jean Quiroz, injured outside a San Antonio apartment complex. The pair had been shot and Bernadette, who was 7-months pregnant, was rushed to a local hospital, where she died hours later.
On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy was charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths,KENS5,News4and theSan Antonio Express-Newsreport. The teen’s identity has not been made public and it is unclear what relationship he might have to the victims.
On Wednesday, the teen appeared in Bexar County Juvenile District Court where it was determined he would remain in the juvenile detention center in which he has been since May 3 on a separate charge of aggravated robbery.
“Right now this court is not releasing you,” Judge Arcelia Treviño told the boy, theExpress-Newsreports. “You are a danger to yourself or another human being.”
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Prosecutors have 30 days to decide whether they would like to file a petition to proceed with capital murder charges, according to theExpress-News.
“The law does not allow the state to seek the death penalty on someone as young as 14,” Bexar County District Attorney Attorney Joe D. Gonzales told News4 Wednesday afternoon. “Typically you don’t see someone as young as 14 being subject to adult certification but the law does allow it in extreme circumstances and certainly this would be one of them.”
Tabitha was born brain dead and was unable to function without constant medical care, KSAT reported in April. Tabitha’s family decided to take her off life support.
“When I found out that she was not going to make it, it tore me a lot,” Bernadette’s older brother, Damian Quiroz, told the station. “Because then I won’t have anything left of my sister besides memories.”
The suspect’s attorney, Ninfa Carrillo, told PEOPLE she had no comment. The suspect has not entered a plea.
source: people.com
