Boys charged, moms steamed in rock case

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The mothers of two of three boys charged with chucking rocks at traffic on Interstate 40 are plenty angry over the dangerous game that could have killed someone.

They also said they — or at least one of the boys — are going to pay for all the damages.

Juan Grande and Gary Walker made a dumb teenage mistake, according to their mothers. The damage done to vehicles and windshields Tuesday night runs into the thousands of dollars, but no one was hurt.

One trucker had a rock smash his windshield.

“I guess it was as big as, probably about this big around," he said gesturing to indicate a rock approaching the size of a volleyball. "It was like a missile coming through there.”

The missiles raining down from the pedestrian bridge between Eubank and Juan Tabo NE Tuesday night hit at least 10 cars and trucks.

Walker is 16, and Grande spent his 17th birthday in jail.

Officials at the juvenile detention center wouldn't provide the name of the third boy because of his age.

“I am sorry to all those people with the damage he caused I will be keeping a closer eye on him," Grande's mother told KRQE News 13. "He didn't have his freedom before with his father.

"I just got him, so hopefully I can change him before he gets into more trouble. He is going to have to get a job and pay for it on his own.”

She said she hopes the serious charges against her son and a night in jail will give him a wake-up call.

“I hope so," she said. "That is why I left him for the day to pick him up so he could learn his lesson in here.”

Grande faces six charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a charge for criminal damage to property.

Walker faces one count of each.

Walker's mother said in a telephone interview Wednesday evening that she is also very sorry for her son's actions. She says he will also pay for any damages.

Her window was broken out at that same spot two years ago, she added.

She says she refuses to let her son turn into a punk so she says she will be going to school with him from now on to make sure he's in his seat for every class.

The truck driver whose window was smashed says these teens need to realize how close they came to killing someone.

“I mean, doing something stupid like that, you know, this is attempted murder right there,” he said.

Walker is also out of jail tonight. The status of the third boy has not been released.