Prosecutors want teen held in fatal shooting charged as adult
MUNCIE, Ind. — Delaware County prosecutors want a 17-year-old Muncie girl held in a fatal shooting to face charges as an adult.
The girl has been held in custody on the Youth Opportunity Center campus since Dec. 12, when another 17-year-old Delaware County youth, Kayden Lee, was shot to death in a home in the 1500 block of West Stirling Drive, on Muncie's north side.
Because the girl being detained is a juvenile, Muncie police have released few details about the shooting.
At a hearing held Wednesday in the county's juvenile court, at the YOC, Juvenile Magistrate Amanda Yonally said a delinquency petition indicates allegations against the girl would result in four criminal charges if she was an adult — involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, pointing a firearm and dangerous possession of a firearm.
More:One teen fatally shot, another detained by Muncie police
Yonally also said prosecutors filed a petition for the girl to be waived into adult jurisdiction, which would apparently result in the filing of those charges.
The juvenile magistrate set a Jan. 3 hearing on that request.
In the meantime, the girl — with no prior juvenile record, according to Yonally — will remain in custody at the YOC.
Deputy Prosecutor Diane Frye told Yonally she objected to a request to allow the girl — who is pregnant, according to remarks made at Wednesday's hearing — to be placed on electronic home detention.
The girl, her grandfather and public defender Lon Bryan spoke in favor of her release. However, Yonally said she would remain detained for now, noting the "very serious nature of the allegations."
As a result of that decision, the girl was in tears as she left the courtroom.
Juvenile court hearings are usually not open to the public, but they are in cases involving allegations that would result in felony charges against an adult.
Bryan said a conflict would prevent him from representing the girl. Yonally said another public defender would be appointed.
Both the girl and the shooting victim had reportedly attended Yorktown High School.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie teen held in fatal shooting could face charges as an adult
