10-year-old boy accused of killing friend to get evaluation

A 10-year-old boy accused of stabbing a 12-year-old friend to death will be evaluated to determine whether he is competent to stand trial on murder and felony assault charges, a judge said Thursday.

The boy, whose name was not released by authorities, fidgeted and cracked his knuckles throughout the hearing, which was his first appearance in court since he allegedly killed Ryan Carter on Monday after the victim had tried to break up a fight.

The younger boy, neighbors said, suffered from emotional issues and was prone to bouts of anger, but they expressed shock that he was capable of such violence.

Carter was the suspect’s best friend, and the two were often seen playing together on the streets of their mobile home park near El Cajon, a suburb east of San Diego.

The suspect is being tried as a juvenile and potentially could be incarcerated until he is 25, prosecutors said.

Under state law, a child must be at least 14 to be tried as an adult. Prosecutors would not comment on their decision to file murder charges and declined to provide more details of the investigation.

“This is a tragic, tragic case for everyone involved,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Victor Barr said after the hearing.

The boy appeared restless in court, and a bailiff standing behind him instructed him to sit up straight after he slumped his head on his arm. He seemed confused when the judge asked him to agree to appear at the next court hearing Feb. 23.

“Yes,” he finally said, in a hoarse voice, after a lengthy interaction with his attorney.

Carter’s family was not at the hearing, but the suspect’s mother did attend, sitting somberly in one of the back rows of the courtroom.

The child is being held at Juvenile Hall in San Diego, where he is complying with all the rules, said Craig Stover, director of institutional services for the San Diego County Probation Department.

richard.marosi@latimes.com