Authorities have detained three teens in connection with the death of a United States Marine Corps veteran last month.
A 15-year-old kid was arrested and charged with capital murder on October 9 after 28-year-old Quoc “Jake” Nguyen was discovered shot dead along a road in Harris County, Texas, on September 4, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Two more boys, a 14-year-old and a 13-year-old, were caught a week later and charged with evidence tampering, according to the statement. It is unclear whether they have filed pleas or hired attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Sheriff Gonzalez said the thieves robbed and shot Nguyen, a rideshare driver, before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.
Nguyen’s family said KHOU 11 that their last contact with him was in north Harris County, where he dropped off other passengers. They also stated that he was training to become an EMT after just returned home from the United States Marine Corps.
According to the sheriff’s statement, all three suspects were put into the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center.
According to a legal expert, the two older juveniles may be tried as adults because state statutes consider a 14-year-old to be an adult for some charges, such as murder, and the 15-year-old might face the death penalty if convicted, KHOU 11 reports.
