Teen Suspect In Deadly San Jose Crime Spree Could Be Charged As Adult
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - A teenager arrested last Friday in the East Bay could be charged as an adult in connection with a deadly San Jose crime spree that left one young man dead and a San Jose police officer wounded.
The unidentified 15-year-old was arrested at a Concord apartment complex, one of two people police say are responsible for four armed robberies, a murder during an attempted carjacking and the attempted murder of a San Jose policeman on Nov. 16.
"You look at the crimes committed and it's not just one act but when you, after committing a murder, which may have been impulsive to some extent but you then fire on police officers in an attempt to kill them, that's something that a jury is going to have little tolerance for," suggested attorney Steven Clark, a former prosecutor now in private practice in San Jose.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
Clark is of the belief that the teen will be charged as an adult, though he suggested defense attorneys may try to argue that the teen was influenced by Jonathan Wilbanks, 26, the other suspect in the crime spree.
Wilbanks was taken into custody the night of the alleged crimes, and has already been formally arraigned though has yet to enter a plea to charges of murder with special circumstances, the attempted murder of a peace officer, four counts of second degree robbery and assault with a firearm on an officer.
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