A 10-year-old boy suspected of shooting his father, a Riverside Neo-Nazi leader, was charged with murder today.
The boy is charged with intentionally killing his father, Jeff Hall, inside his Riverside home about 4 a.m. Sunday. The boy was booked into Juvenile Hall and is being tried in Riverside Juvenile Court.
In addition to the murder charge, the boy was also charged with an allegation of using a gun in the commission of the killing. Because the boy is under 14, he will not be tried as an adult.
Deputy District Attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez said the circumstances of the case, including having a suspect of such young age, is extremely rare.
"It's almost unheard of, until today," Rodriguez said.
"Thank God patricide is not something that is a daily occurrence."
If he is found guilty of the charges, the boy could remain in juvenile hall until he is 18 or another youth detention facility until he is 25.
Hall was the leader of the Southwest chapter of the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi organization, which has held rallies in Riverside. Authorities said his political beliefs were unrelated to the shooting.
During today's proceedings a public defender was appointed, but a detention hearing to enter a plea was postponed for two weeks while his biological mother from Washington considered pursuing a private attorney and possible pleas in the case.
"I just found out about all of this on Monday," the boy's mother, Leticia Neal, told the judge. She left the courthouse without commenting.
His public defender said the defense was weighing several possible pleas, including not guilty by reason of insanity.
"This is going to be a long haul," said Matt Hardy, the boy's public defender. "There are some very difficult issues in this case."
The shaggy blonde-haired boy sat in an orange Juvenile Hall uniform in shackles, as his family listened to the proceedings.
The boy waved a shackled hand at his family, causing his stepmother to break down sobbing as he was led out of the courtroom. The boy was granted a visit with his grandmother and stepmother after the hearing.
Comment:
Since I live locally to Riverside (about 30 min. away), I'll be getting more news, as this is not a national story. I'll provide updates as they come in.
The police said it had nothing to do with politics. I'd be interested to know the motive. You can just use your imagination as to what kind of father Hall was, knowing what kind of a slime ball he was.
I'm sure most of us feel sorry for the boy. We can only hope he gets the help he needs.Dan 88!
No comments:
Post a Comment