Two children (14 & 15) held in rape and beating of 89 year old woman

[cali]

April 10, 2009

PORT RICHEY -- Two teens charged with beating and raping an 89-year-old woman and then trying to smother her with a pillow are being held without bail in the Pasco County Juvenile Detention Center.

Carlos Fernandez, 15, of 7151 Tudor Lane in Port Richey, and Luis Reyes Jr., 14, of 11230 Areca Drive in Port Richey, face charges of burglary to a residence, grand theft auto, attempted first-degree murder and sexual battery.

Pasco Sheriff Bob White has recommended they be charged as adults, though the final decision lies with prosecutors.

The Sheriff's Office says Fernandez, left, and Reyes, right, broke into the victim's home in the Palm Terrace Gardens neighborhood off U.S. 19 in the early hours Wednesday. The victim told deputies the attackers wore masks, beat her in her bed, raped her and ransacked her house.

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http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/04/teens-held-in-rape-of-89yearold-woman.html\

generally, I don't believe in trying children as adults. There are exceptions. This is one of them.

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. They are smiling in their mug shots...if those are mug shots.

[MADem]

6. Unless their school uniform is orange prison stripes, I'm thinking those are mugshots. NT

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. oops. good catch.

[emilyg]

2. I'm at a loss for words.

[MADem]

3. If I were their families, I would take a vacation somewhere far away.

That's an horrific crime.

I also agree they should be tried as adults, but I find it surprising that they printed the names and addresses in the paper, particularly before a determination as to their status (adult v. juvenile) is decided. Don't they look like happy little campers in those mug shots? They probably believe they'll be diverted to a juvenile program. I really do hope that they are surprised by the judge's decision.

Gonna be a tough trick, seating a jury. Most folks have a momma or a granny, or had one.

[commander bunnypants]

4. Damn

what th hell is wrong with kids today?

sad

CB

[FLAprogressive]

5. I'm sure the "you can't possibly ever try children as adults" weenies will come out.

[cali]

7. I suspect they'll mostly make themselves scarce on this one.

[YOY]

11. Indeed. This one is pretty fricking atrocious.

n.t.

[TahitiNut]

17. I regard some criminality as "self-emancipating behavior." This is sure one of those cases.

They lost their childhood ... they emancipated themselves. Now they can deal with that. :grr:

[LeftinOH]

8. They surely have parents (or guardians..something) -let's see their mugshots, too

..seriously. Letting your offspring turn into feral predators is pretty irresponsible.

[tammywammy]

9. How horrible!

I agree they should be charged as adults.

That poor woman. :(

[Mr. Ected]

10. Kids Don't Rape. Adults Rape.

Charge them as adults.

[cali]

12. while I get your drift, kids do indeed rape.

[Mr. Ected]

14. Certainly I Oversimplified

But if the equipment functions as an adult and the crime is rape, it seems to me the blanket protection of insufficient chronological age would cease to exist.

[cali]

15. yeah, I'm reluctantly in agreement with you on this.

[iamthebandfanman]

13. thank god they are behind bars

and they should stay there.

im trying to figure out why theres no attempted murder charge of any sort.

these kids are obviously disturbed, and would have caused tons of problems if they had been allowed to continue to get older around each other.

its best for everyone if these kids stay locked up.

they need help, seriously bad.

[scrinmaster]

16. Remember this the next time you hear about a cop shooting a "kid".

[FLAprogressive]

18. you probably just stuck your hands in the hornet's nest with that one

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Huh?

[seaglass]

21. Don't you mean two adults (14 & 15)? n/t

[WI_DEM]

22. I'm glad they are being charged as adults. At there ages they know what they were doing

they were raping and attempting to kill a very old woman.