ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There are some questions about the sentence a 13-year-old could face if found guilty of murdering a classmate. Juan Saucedo Jr. is accused of shooting 13-year-old Bennie Hargrove at Washington Middle School in August after Hargrove confronted him about bullying other students.
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During a hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said they planned to file a motion to clarify the sentence that Saucedo could face if convicted. Under the New Mexico statute, juveniles 15-years or older can be classified as serious youthful offenders and if convicted of first-degree murder, be sentenced as an adult.
Otherwise, juveniles are generally sentenced until they are 21. It’s unclear what the specific questions about sentencing in the case are, once the motion is filed we’ll learn more.
