VENTURA : Murder Suspect, 16, Faces Status Hearing
A defense attorney representing a 16-year-old murder suspect will have to prove at a hearing next month that the Fillmore boy deserves to be tried as a minor, a judge has ruled.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren scheduled a Jan. 4 hearing to determine whether the boy will face the murder charge in Juvenile Court or Superior Court.
The boy was arrested Dec. 11 on suspicion of killing Rodolfo Molina Mora, a 27-year-old Fillmore man, early on the same morning.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael K. Frawley said the victim and suspect knew each other, but he said he cannot elaborate on the circumstances of the case.
“He’s 16, and we believe he’s committed murder,” said Frawley, who said it is up to the defense to prove the defendant should be tried as a minor.
Deputy Public Defender Steven P. Lipson said he only recently received the file and was not prepared to comment on the details of the case.
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