BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman says he is frustrated that five teens were not booked into the Juvenile Detention Center after they arrested for gun crimes. 

Instead, the Albuquerque Police Department told KOB 4 that they were all released to their guardians at the scene of the crime.

“It is unacceptable and not appropriate at every level for the idea that, in Bernalillo County, a juvenile is being arrested for a gun crime and not being booked in the detention center – that absolutely has to happen,” said Bregman. 

On Saturday night, four teens were caught on camera stealing a city-owned bait car.

The Albuquerque Police Department says they tracked them through town, and can be seen casing neighborhoods and apartment buildings. At one point, the driver points a handgun out the window before passing the gun around the car. 

Eventually, police stepped in and remotely disabled the car near the Coors Bypass. But they didn’t make it far, all four teens were arrested and charged with taking a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and resisting arrest. 

But they were all released to their parents that night.

“I can tell you the most frustrating thing about being the district attorney for a little more than a year now is the idea that juveniles are not being held accountable. There are no consequences currently in the juvenile justice system as of now,” said Bregman. 

Bregman says these teens should have been booked into a Juvenile Detention Facility. But APD says because of understaffing and overpopulation, they weren’t allowed at the County Detention Center.

Bregman says that’s no excuse.

“They are going to need to find another facility if they absolutely cannot put them in this detention center. They are going to have to find another detention center in the state that is a juvenile detention center and enter into whatever MOU or whatever, and enter them into another facility,” said Bregman. 

Bregman says if children are going to commit adult crimes, they need to face adult charges. That includes getting booked into a detention facility, and says letting these children go home is not a safe solution for anyone in the community.

“The reality is we are not doing a good enough job right now, and we need to be doing anything we can to hold these young people accountable,” said Bregman. 

A spokesman for APD says they do not transport or book juveniles, and that’s the county’s job.

So what does the county have to say? Why wouldn’t they book these teens?

Well, a spokesperson from the county says the Bernalillo Juvenile Detention Center is at capacity, they have 44 children right now. The only way they will accept another one is if they are facing murder charges.

Bregman mentioned bringing juvenile offenders to other facilities, but is that an option?

The county says they are working on making those agreements. Nothing is set in stone yet, but they are making headway with Lea County, who says they will take a max of three juveniles. 

The spokesman says teen violence is a growing problem all across the state.