THE NATION - News from June 9, 2009
Prosecutors want a judge to return a 9-year-old boy awaiting sentencing in the death of his father’s friend to juvenile detention, saying his family is failing to ensure that he and the community are safe.
Apache County Atty. Michael Whiting said the boy violated conditions of his furlough, including leaving the state without permission and missing court-ordered schooling sessions. His attorney disputed the allegations and their gravity. A hearing was set for June 16.
The boy was a third-grader when he was arrested in the Nov. 5 shooting deaths of his father, 29-year-old Vincent Romero, and his father’s roommate, 39-year-old Timothy Romans. The boy had been released from custody and pleaded guilty in February to negligent homicide in Romans’ death. Prosecutors dropped charges in the death of the boy’s father as part of a plea agreement.
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