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Teen robbery suspects charged as adults
Prosecutors filed charges Friday against three Colorado Springs teenagers, who will be tried as adults in a pair of recent armed robberies of 7-Eleven stores.
“If a serious crime is committed there will be serious consequences,” 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May said in a prepared statement. May cited concerns over a rash of recent robberies as part of the decision to move the cases to an adult court.
Osvaldo Reyes-Vidal, 15, Rodrigo Leal, 16, and Irving Omar Rodriguez, 17, each have been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of crimes of violence. They are being held at the El Paso County Jail, each on a $175,000 bond.
All three had their initial court appearance Friday before Juvenile Court Magistrate Dulce Denise Peacock. She advised them of the charges while a Spanish translator explained the proceedings to their parents. Their next court appearance is Feb. 1 in District Court.
Two men have also been charged in the robberies: Benito Castillo, 23 and Edward V. Castillo, 21.
If convicted the two men and three teens could face prison sentences of between 10 to 32 years for each robbery count. If they are found guilty of a crime of violence, those sentences could run consecutively.
If convicted as juveniles, the three teens would face far less severe sentences and would serve them in a juvenile detention facility.
They are accused of robbing the 7-Eleven at 3805 E. Pikes Peak Ave. on Sunday at 2:22 a.m. and then robbing the 7-Eleven at 2555 Delta Drive about 45 minutes later. Police said four robbers entered the store and physically assaulted a clerk while one pointed a pistol.
After police aired a description of the getaway vehicle, a K-9 officer spotted it and arrested all five suspects. Police also recovered the handgun.
Carrie Thompson, head of the El Paso County office of the Colorado Public Defender, said direct filing on juveniles for crimes other than homicide happens “from time to time.”
“I don’t think this jurisdiction has as many non-homicide direct files as I’ve seen in other jurisdictions,” she said. “To me, it doesn’t seem like it’s very common.”
Colorado law permits prosecutors to file first-degree murder charges against juveniles who are 14 years or older. A judge has to approve the transfer of a juvenile murder suspect to adult court if the defendant is younger than 14.
In a news release, May said his office considers the nature of the charge, the defendant’s age and criminal history in weighing whether to charge them as adults. He described robbery as “an extremely destructive crime.”
No photos of the suspects will be released because investigators are still showing them to witnesses, the DA's Office said.
For more court coverage, go to the Sidebar blog at Gazette.com
