Rehabilitation or repeat offenses, the two sides of the juvenile justice system

Months after their son's death, Karen and Eric Ruffins continue to hold on to the memory of their "third heartbeat."

"He was my third heartbeat," Karen said. "My third born. The love of my life."

Eric Ruffins Jr., a 28-year-old father, was driving four people around in his car when someone in the back seat shot him to death in January, according to detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"They left him alone in the car," Karen said. "I saw my son, under the sheet."

Since his death, his family has been left with many unanswered questions. 

"Did you know him?" Eric Sr. said. "What could have caused this? What anger?"

One of the questions that troubles them the most is, what if one of the men charged with their son's death hadn't been released after his first murder conviction?

"So, where are we now? Karen said. "Because my son's dead."

Investigators identified the two people charged in her son's murder as 28-year-old Dewayne Cathey and 22-year-old Denmonne Lee. 

When Lee was still a teen, he and another man Deonta Johnson, shot and killed cashier John Ruh during a robbery in Lancaster roughly six years ago.

"I haven't gotten closure from anything yet," said Michelle Brace, Ruh's girlfriend for 22 years. "I'll never be with anyone else."

Johnson and Lee, who provided the gun, were convicted of murder. Lee was set to be tried as an adult, something Brace pushed for. 

"He would be in life without parole right now," Brace said.

When George Gascón became the LA County District Attorney in 2020, he banned prosecuting juveniles as adults — even for murder. This directive pulled 77 cases, including Lee's, from the adult court and kept them in the juvenile system. 

About a year later, Gascón revised his policy to allow transfers to adult court in the most egregious cases. However, by the time he updated the rule Lee had already been ordered to stay in the juvenile system until he was 25 years old. 

As time passed, Brace forgave Lee. 

"I felt bad for him," she said. "I really did."

His rehabilitation was working with Gascón even referring to him as a "role model."

In 2023, Lee was transferred to a halfway house after serving less than six years. Gascón said Lee was working part-time and getting an education. 

"Go ahead, release him and let's see what happens," Brace said. 

Seven months later, investigators arrested Lee for allegedly killing Ruffins. 

"It's mind-blowing to know that an individual can get out after being so-called 'rehabilitated' in such a short period of time for a heinous crime," Eric Sr. said. 

Gascón expressed his sorrow for the Ruffins family, describing the death as horrible while also passing along his condolences. 

"Most of what we're doing is working," Gascón said. "We have substantial failures. Mr. Ruffins is a tragic failure of the system."

However, Gascón doubts a judge would have approved Lee's transfer to adult court, citing the focus on the teen's maturity, crime severity and past behavior. 

"He had no prior significant history," Gascón said. 

Proposition 57, which was passed four years before Gascón took office, changed how juveniles were tried. Prosecutors can recommend adult court, but the judges decide. Recent changes limit transfers to 16 and 17-year-olds, with a presumption they stay in juvenile court. 

"The court has to be convinced that the juvenile cannot be rehabilitated," Gascón said. 

In 2022, less than 27% of 46 statewide transfer hearings resulted in adult court. Since Gascón's policy shift, his office recommended 20 for transfer. Of the 4 cases in court so far, 1 was approved and two were denied, including the case of Uniek Atkins and Sierra Brown. 

In 2018, the sisters were found beaten, shot and burned in their Westchester apartment. Atkins' then a 17-year-old ex-boyfriend was arrested for the murders. 

"We tried to transfer that case and the court denied the transfer," Gascón said. 

Donato Cruikshank was convicted of the two sisters' murder last year and is close to his final year in Juvenile Hall. 

"We also know that juveniles are easily programmable, and we have many success stories," Gascón said.

A 17-year-old Monte McKay was almost certain he was going to adult prison. he faced 48 years to life for the night he drove a friend's car. At a light, he spotted a police cruiser. He remembers the sirens blaring and everyone in the car screaming at him to drive. 

"Driving more than 100 mph, I hit the curb, the car went in the air, hit a brick wall," McKay said. 

At that moment, McKay's painful life in foster homes, sibling separation and jail time no longer mattered as a woman was walking in the path of the out-of-control car. She died. 

"The cops, everybody has their gun out," McKay said. "I'm begging them, 'please kill me...' It's my fault, of course, it is."

Just like Lee's case, McKay stayed in the juvenile system when Gascón began his term. He served three years for second-degree murder. 

"My entire life changed," he said. "I could finally plan for a future."

The high school dropout just finished his first year at UC Berkeley.

Rehabilitation is key to any success story and plays a factor in transfer hearings. 

However, LA County Probation tells KCAL News real rehabilitation efforts are virtually nonexistent due to rampant violence and staff shortages. As a result, many of these kids leave the system only to return to the gangs that brought them there in the first place. 

"Do we go back to doing the things that clearly do not work on a wholesale basis in order to feel better?" Gascón said.

Nonetheless, in the Ruffins' eyes, something has to change. 

"I want laws to change. I want laws to be looked at a bit different," Karen said. 

The two men charged in Ruffins' killing have not entered a plea as of yet. 

"The message has to get out there that we cannot allow an individual to go around senselessly killing individuals," Eric Sr. said.