What began as a fight over money for money for beer could land Jonathan Cardenas, 17, of Santa Cruz, in jail for the rest of his life.
What began as a fight over money for money for beer could land Jonathan Cardenas, 17, of Santa Cruz, in jail for the rest of his life. Last fall, Cardenas, Bobbie Reynolds and a few of their friends were in a Beach Hill motel room rented by a 14-year-old girl with a fake ID. The girl accused Reynolds of taking $25 from her purse while she was having sex with Cardenas, and a fight ensued. In the tussle, Cardenas stabbed Reynolds. He died a few hours later.
Cardenas’s lawyers argue that Reynolds had slapped the girl for falsely accusing him of stealing her money, and that Cardenas jumped to her defense. The judge ruled, however, that since the situation was not life-threatening, Cardenas was not justified in killing his friend, or even in pulling out a knife. As such, he will be tried for murder, not manslaughter. The trial will continue on September 17, at which point it will be decided whether Cardenas should be transferred from the Juvenile Detention Center to adult prison. Read More at the Mercury News.
