FAYETTEVILLE -- A teenager is charged with being an accomplice to capital murder in the fatal shooting of Xavier Williams in Springdale.
Junior Betero Torea, 16, was arraigned and charged as an adult this morning in Washington County Circuit Court. He is also charged with accomplice to residential burglary.
Legal lingo
Tried as an adult
Some juvenile cases get transferred to adult criminal court when a judge waives the protections that juvenile court provides. Usually, juvenile cases that are subject to waiver involve more serious crimes, or minors who have been in trouble before. Although being tried in adult court gives a juvenile more constitutional protections, it has disadvantages too. including the potential for a more severe sentence and the possibility of serving time in an adult correctional facility. In most states, a juvenile offender must be at least 16 to be eligible for waiver to adult court.
Source: nolo.com
Torea, of Springdale, entered not guilty pleas and was given a Sept. 19 court date before Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor.
Torea will be 17 years old September 1. Because of his age, the death penalty is not in play.
If convicted, Torea faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. The residential burglary charge carries a potential sentence of 10 to 40 years or life with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
Torea is being held in the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center with no bond set.
Police found Xavier Williams, 24, dead Aug. 17 in his apartment at 276 Strawberry Meadows Place, Apt. 209. He had been shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun, according to a police report.
Police said Williams was shot Aug. 16. A family member of Williams called police Aug. 17, said Lt. Jeff Taylor, police spokesman. Williams' body was sent to the state Crime Lab.
Detectives arrested Anferney Amram, 18, Albert Davis, 19, Billson Andrike, 19, Tracy Schuman, 33, and Torea in the days following the shooting.
Amram was arrested in connection with capital murder, tampering with evidence, residential burglary, discharging a firearm in the city and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was being held in the Washington County Jail with no bond set. Arraignment is set for Sept. 25.
Amram told police he shot Williams because he threatened his family. He said he planned to kill Williams a few months ago and he stole the gun to shoot him with, according to a news release.
Schuman was arrested in connection with accomplice to murder, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension.
Davis was arrested in connection with residential burglary, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension.
Andrike was arrested in connection with hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence and residential burglary. He was released from the Washington County jail on a $15,000 bond.
Schuman, Davis and Andrike have Sept. 25 arraignment dates. All are free on $15,000 bonds.
Davis told police he and Andrike went into the apartment and picked up the bullet casings and Williams' cellphone and threw them away somewhere in Springdale, according to a police report.
Amram took the gun, pulled it apart and threw it out of a moving vehicle in Bentonville, according to a police report.
NW News on 08/28/2017