Las Vegas teen pleads guilty to killing classmate

Four Las Vegas teens who beat a high school classmate to death have escaped lengthy prison sentences for murder after reaching a plea deal.

Last November, 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr was stomped on, punched and knocked unconscious in an alley and died in hospital days later.

The killers, who were 16 and 17 at the time of the attack, will be tried in adult court on second-degree murder charges but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a plea deal that will see them spend a specific period in juvenile detention.

Melissa Ready, the victim’s mother, told local media: “There’s actually no real punishment for my son’s murder. It’s disgusting.”

She told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she opposed the deal and was not even informed of the deal in August when it was struck.

“When they stepped on my child’s head, they knew he was going to die. They should be held accountable as adults,” she said. “They made adult choices.”

The murderers Treavion Randolph, Dontral Beaver, and Gianni Robinson were all 17 years old, while Damian Hernand Damien Hernandez, who turned 18 after the attack, was charged in January.

Nevada can prosecute children as young as 13 for murder. However, people convicted of crimes in Clark County’s juvenile system, which includes Las Vegas, can be detained until age 21.

If they complete a rehabilitation program, they may be eligible for early parole.

District Attorney Steve Wolfson defended the plea agreement, saying it balanced the egregious facts of the case with potential legal challenges after trial.

Mr. Wolfson added that the juvenile detention system would provide killers with more appropriate rehabilitation resources.

On November 1, Jonathan died from critical injuries in an alley near Rancho High School. Video posted on social media showed him taking off his shirt and getting ready for a fight, reportedly after headphones and vape pens were stolen.

He was then surrounded by 10 students, who pushed him to the ground and knocked him unconscious.

A member of the public discovered him and took him back to school where staff performed CPR before he was taken to hospital. He died six days later from “unsurvivable head trauma,” police said.

Nine students, aged 13 to 17, were arrested in connection with the attacks.

Hernandez’s attorney, Karen Connolly, told CBS News: “Damian deeply regrets his involvement in the melee that resulted in Jonathan’s tragic death.

“He takes full responsibility and will accept any punishment.”