Seven Teens Arrested for a String of Austin Crimes

 Posted on January 21, 2025 in Juvenile Law

Seven teens in the Austin area were allegedly involved in a string of auto thefts, business burglaries, and violent carjackings. The crime spree lasted for two days, after starting on January 12th. Some of the alleged crimes include the carjacking of a security officer, a burglary of the Tiny Pies Bakery, The Gents Place, and a vape shop, one failed carjacking, a stolen car in Travis County, the carjacking of a Honda Civic, and multiple vehicle pursuits.

Two of the suspects are seventeen years old, while the other five are younger. The investigation is ongoing. As a parent, it can be extremely difficult to know what to do when your teen is involved in juvenile crimes. What happens now can affect his or her life for a very long time to come, so it is especially important to speak to a knowledgeable Karnes City, TX juvenile crimes attorney.

How Are Juvenile Crimes Prosecuted in Texas?

Rather than being found "guilty" or "not guilty," a juvenile will either be "adjudicated delinquent" (meaning the crimes alleged against the juvenile are found to be true by a judge or jury) or "adjudicated not guilty" (the allegations are found to be not true by a judge or jury).  The police officer must notify the parents of a juvenile taken into custody. The juvenile may either be released to a parent or other responsible person who promises to bring him or her back to juvenile court or to a juvenile processing office, a medical facility, a detention facility, or the child’s school (if the school agrees).

A probable determination must be made by a judge within 24 hours, and parents or guardians must be given reasonable notice. The juvenile will attend a detention hearing under Texas Family Code Section 54.01(a). If the juvenile is held after this first detention hearing, a hearing must be held at least every 10 business days to determine whether the juvenile will continue to be held. The first hearing is not to determine whether the allegations against the juvenile are true; it is held to consider the following factors:

• Whether the juvenile is likely to flee
• Whether the juvenile has appropriate supervision at home
• Whether the juvenile has previously been adjudicated delinquent
• Whether the juvenile is a danger to himself or herself
•  Whether the juvenile threatens public safety
• Whether the juvenile is likely to commit a new offense if released

Serious felonies can result in a juvenile being transferred to adult court. The juvenile must have committed a felony and must have been 14 years old or older when the alleged offense was committed (for a capital felony, aggravated controlled substance felony, or first-degree felony) or 15 years old for a second-degree, third-degree or state jail felony.

The juvenile court must determine there is probable cause that the juvenile committed the alleged offenses. This is a judge-only hearing, where the judge will also consider a social evaluation, a full investigation of the juvenile and the circumstances of the alleged offense, and a complete diagnostic study. Being tried as an adult is extremely serious and can have severe consequences.

What Are the Potential Penalties for Juvenile Crimes?

Juvenile offenses can result in the following punishments and penalties for the juvenile:

• Remand to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for the most serious juvenile offenders.
• Remand to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission for juveniles given deferred prosecution probation for less serious offenses for a period of 6-12 months.
• Long-term Detention for juveniles who cannot be successful at home probation served in the county detention facility for 6-9 months.
• Juvenile drug court which provides eligible juveniles the opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment

Contact a Karnes County, TX Juvenile Crimes Lawyer

If you are facing your child’s arrest for a juvenile crime, it is essential that you speak to an experienced Karnes City, TX juvenile crimes attorney from BRCK Criminal Defense Attorneys. Your child will benefit from the fact that every partner in our firm is either a former criminal prosecutor or a judge. We speak Spanish for your convenience. Call 830-769-1010 today to schedule your free consultation.