SAN ANTONIO — A 13-year-old accused of shooting up a neighborhood while driving a stolen vehicle appeared before a judge Monday.
The violent incident happened just before 2 a.m. on West Laurel Street, four blocks south of Woodlawn Lake, Friday.
Initially, San Antonio Police said they expected the teen to face five charges, but when he stood before Judge Rose Sosa in the 289th District Court, a probation worker told the judge the teen actually has amassed eleven charges as he has made previous appearances in juvenile court.
With regard to the latest allegations, Sosa told the teen "You were arrested on multiple offenses including deadly conduct, evading arrest in a vehicle, evading on foot, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. There's a fifth one that escapes me."
A probation worker told the judge "He is pending a total of 11 charges. He has cut his GPS monitor two times, with the most recent being on April 1st, 2024."
Both probation and the prosecutor urged the judge to keep the teen locked up.
The teen, his mother and his defense attorney had nothing to say during the hearing, which lasted less than two minutes before the judge ordered the teen to remain detained.
The initial report from police said officers were working an unrelated traffic stop when they heard several gunshots being fired and they saw a suspect vehicle racing away.
Officers said while they were looking around, they didn't find any gunshot victims but they did find a home and a vehicle with apparent bullet holes, and then they located the stolen suspect vehicle nearby.
Police say when they attempted to stop the vehicle the driver took off and after a short pursuit, the teen left the vehicle and threw a handgun away from himself, as he tried to run away.
One neighbor, who called himself David, said the shooting shook him out of a sound sleep.
"I actually rolled out of bed and hit the floor and then went to try and see," David said, adding "My wife tells me don't look, but if I see something I might be able to report it."
Other neighbors, who said they've been picking up shell casings in the streets on this block for weeks, hope the tide of violence will turn.
"You worry about the bullets. You don't know who is shooting in which direction," David said.
Juveniles are not eligible for bond. This accused teen will be back before the judge in 10 working days for another detention hearing.