Boy, 14, Charged With Murder in Football Star’s Slaying : Violence: Misunderstanding over a dune buggy preceded the stabbing. Youth will be tried as a juvenile.

A 14-year-old boy was charged with murder Thursday in connection with the fatal stabbing of Rancho Alamitos High School star running back Moukda Chounlamany, court officials said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert Molko, who is handling the case, declined to discuss the charge.

A hearing was scheduled today in Orange County Juvenile Court in Orange. Because of the suspect’s age, he will be tried as a juvenile. Under state law, prosecutors can only seek to try defendants ages 16 and older as adults, officials said.

Officials did not release the teen-ager’s name because he is a minor.

The teen-ager, who is being held at Orange County Juvenile Hall, is a high school dropout from Riverside who lives with his grandfather in Garden Grove, said Police Sgt. Doug Morrill.

Morrill described the attack, which occurred during a misunderstanding over a dune buggy, as “one of the worst stabbings I have ever seen.”

Police released more details of the attack. Chounlamany, 18, bled to death from a stab wound to his chest that was 3 1/4 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. He was stabbed once in the chest with a large Army-style knife and died at the scene.

The 14-year-old was arrested several hours after the attack, which occurred about 9 p.m. Tuesday in the 12700 block of Louise Street. He initially fled but returned several hours later and turned himself over to police, Morrill said.

“He had run away from the area and went to a relative’s house,” Morrill said. “Relatives of the suspect brought him back to the scene.”

The confrontation began earlier in the evening when the victim’s younger brother and some friends who live in an apartment complex on Louise Street were congregating around the dune buggy, Morrill said.

“The suspect believed there was going to be a vehicle theft or a theft from the vehicle and ran out to confront the guys,” Morrill said.

The group left but returned a short time later in a vehicle driven by Chounlamany.

“They went back to the apartment complex to drop off some friends who live there and, as they drove up, they were confronted by the suspect,” Morrill said.

Chounlamany was stabbed as he got out of his vehicle, Morrill said.

The mood remained somber at Rancho Alamitos High, where flags flew at half staff in honor of the slain teen-ager. A message on the school’s marquee read: “We Love You Moukda.”

“There are kids crying in the hall,” Vice Principal Connie Van Luit said. “There’s still a lot of sadness.”