Prosecutors want to charge 16-year-old as adult for deadly hit-and-run
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Prosecutors said Friday they want to charge a teen as an adult for a deadly hit-and-run he and two other juvenile suspects are accused of.
William Garcia, 16, faces charges for a hit-and-run crash that killed Scott Habermehl as he was riding to work at Sandia National Labs in the early morning hours of May 29, 2024.
Police released video from inside the car of the crash and the moments leading up to it. Garcia is accused of filming the video, allegedly showing him encouraging driver Johnathan Overbay to “bump” the bicyclist. Police say the video shows Messiah Hayes also waving a gun, just before the crash.
Hayes and Overbay are 11 and 13 years old, respectively. Overbay was 12 when this happened, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.
Garcia’s attorneys argued for his release Friday. They argued he has good attendance at school, holds a job and doesn’t have a criminal history.
However, the judge sided with prosecutors’ arguments that he is “a danger to society.” As a result, the judge ruled to hold him until his trial.
If Garcia is found guilty of the charges he faces as an adult, he faces up to life in prison.
Garcia, Overbay and Hayes each face charges of:
- First-degree murder
- Conspiracy
- Knowingly leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death
- Unlawful carrying of a handgun by someone under age 19
Hayes is in CYFD custody since New Mexico state law prevents anyone under age 12 from being detained at a juvenile facility.
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