LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Clark County District Attorney’s Office is responding to criticism from the mother of a 17-year-old who was killed by several of his classmates.
Damien Hernandez, Dontral Beaver, Treavion Randolph, and Gianni Robinson were in Clark County District Court on Thursday. The four teens agreed to a plea deal in the murder of Jonathan Lewis.
The agreement sends their case to juvenile justice court, where they’re expected to plead to voluntary manslaughter.
Lewis’ mother Mellisa Ready told 8 News Now on Thursday she was informed by prosecutors the teens would plead guilty to murder in adult court.
“I would’ve disagreed with the deal entirely. They should be accountable as adults they made an adult choice,” Ready said. “They knew that when they were stomping on my child’s head that he was going to die as a result.”
In a response issued on Friday, the district attorney’s office stated:
“The District Attorney’s Office stands by the negotiation, which was reached after thoughtful consideration of the egregious facts and circumstances as well as the potential legal challenges the State faced. Ultimately, the State determined the juvenile court was best equipped to punish the defendants for their heinous conduct while also attempting to rehabilitate them. While the District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the pain the victim’s mother is going through as she mourns the loss of her son, the negotiation was accurately conveyed to her last week, prior to the court proceeding. The conversation was witnessed by multiple DA personnel.”
