Teenagers in New Mexico accused of fatal hit-and-run incident involving a cyclist, as per authorities.
In a shocking twist of events, a 13-year-old, purportedly responsible for a premeditated hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of a 63-year-old physicist, was ordered to stay in custody on Wednesday. Authorities in Albuquerque confirmed the search for another teen, allegedly involved in the case, had concluded.
The youngster is suspected to be the driver of the vehicle involved in the tragic hit-and-run accident of May 2024, which claimed the life of Scott Dwight Habermehl. At the time of the incident, the teenager was 12 years old.
Evidence suggests there were two other occupants in the vehicle that fateful morning—an 11-year-old and a 15-year-old. Both older boys have been indicted on charges of open murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident involving severe harm or death, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a minor.
The youngest boy will face a murder charge as well. A little over a week after the fatal crash, the authorities apprehended him on an unrelated felony warrant.
A video recording of the accident emerged and circulated on social media. Middle school principal and several concerned individuals reported the video to authorities, following a student's flagging.
In court, Deputy District Attorney Bridget McKenney shared a horrific and heart-wrenching video, which depicted the car accelerating as the tail light of the bicycle became visible. A voice believed to be one of the older boys exuberantly commented, "Just bump him, brah." She also presented images of the damaged vehicle—the windshield shattered, the hood dented, and the bumper damaged.
"I can't think of a better term than callous behavior for what we've seen," McKenney expressed to the court. "You can hear the impact of the victim slamming into the windshield. You can see them turning the camera as they sped off, watching the victim hit the ground."
Habermehl was reportedly left to perish on the side of the road as the occupants swapped vehicles and continued their day. Publicly-appointed attorney Michael Rosenfield expressed his client's denial of the charges. The attorney argued that the young boy had been on probation in December for an unrelated case and had been complying with the requirements. Rosenfield suggested the conditions of supervision could allow the teenager to be released from custody.
However, Judge Catherine Begaye disagreed, determining that the child poses a threat to others.
Typically, the Associated Press withholds the names of minors accused of a crime.
Police are currently searching for the 16-year-old suspect, who authorities urged to turn himself in earlier this week. Detectives conducted surveillance and apprehended the teenager without incident on Wednesday.
In a chilling echo of this case, a similar incident unfolded in Las Vegas in 2023, where teenage boys supposedly recorded themselves intentionally hitting a bicyclist, ultimately resulting in fatalities. One of those teens was deemed unfit to stand trial.
- The 13-year-old defendant, one of the occupants of the vehicle, is accused of driving and causing the hit-and-run incident that led to the death of Scott Dwight Habermehl.
- Michael Rosenfield, publicly-appointed attorney for the youngest boy, argued that his client had been complying with probation conditions for an unrelated case.
- In a separate incident in Las Vegas in 2023, teenage boys reportedly intentionally hit a bicyclist, resulting in fatalities, similar to the case involving the defendant and the bicyclist.
