Girl, 16, gets up to 6 years juvenile jail for botched Rock Hill fatal robbery
A 16-year-old girl facing who had been facing the possibility of an adult murder trial in a Rock Hill fatal shooting during a botched robbery. She will spend up to six years in a South Carolina juvenile jail after pleading guilty to attempted armed robbery and kidnapping.
In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors dropped murder and conspiracy charges against the girl, who has been jailed since the Feb. 20 shooting at a parking deck near downtown.
York County Family Court Judge Chad Smith accepted the negotiated deal in court Tuesday between prosecutors and Montrio Belton, the girl’s lawyer. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed not to seek an adult trial for murder and the other charges that could have carried as much as 90 years in prison for convictions.
Smith called the case “tragic,” but said the sentence has “accountability, rehabilitation and public safety.”
Because the case remained in juvenile court, state law mandates her sentence must end by her 22nd birthday, Smith said.
The girl’s parents and other family were in court but did not speak. The girl did not address the judge other than to admit guilt. The Herald is not naming her because of her age.
Prosecutor: Girl attempted to “seduce” victim in robbery plot
The girl was not the shooter but plotted with Za’veon Heath, 18, to rob her 15-year-old boyfriend of a gun, prosecutor Whitney Payne said. Text messages showed days of planning, and the girl’s role was to “seduce” the target so Heath could steal the gun, Payne said.
But during the deceptive rendezvous at the parking deck, the boyfriend who was targeted shot and killed Heath. The 15-year-old shot in self-defense, according to previous court statements from police in the case.
Payne told the judge a review of the case shows that even though prosecutors filed documents in March to seek an adult trial, the best resolution was guilty pleas in juvenile court. The girl has no prior criminal record but will have to serve potentially the maximum sentence allowed under state law for juveniles.
“We believe she does deserve to spend significant time in jail for this,” Payne said.
Defense: The girl regrets her role
Belton, the girl’s lawyer, said the text messages between the girl and Heath showed the plot to “set up that lick” — slang for a robbery — went on for as many as 18 days before the crime.
He said the girl understands what she did is wrong and accepts responsibility for her actions.
“She regrets being involved with this type of behavior,” Belton said.
Belton told the judge he believed police and prosecutors overcharged the girl with murder because the person who fired the shots has not been charged with the killing, but said the plea deal is a just resolution in the case where she will have a chance at a life after her sentence.
“We were able to come to a conclusion that this 16-year-old young lady will be punished for her actions, but she has an opportunity for rehabilitation,” Belton said.
After court, Belton said this was another “senseless tragedy” where three young lives have been changed forever. One is dead, one will be in jail, and one will have to live with the psychological scars of what happened that night, Belton said.
“My prayer is that young people will put these guns down,” Belton said.
