13-year-old New York boy ordered to remain behind bars until trial in murder of college student

A 13-year-old charged with killing a Barnard College freshman will remain behind bars until his March trial, a Family Court judge ruled.

Manhattan Family Court Judge Carol Goldstein denied a defense request to allow the teenager to go home until his trial starts. The teenager, who so far is the only person charged in the Dec. 11 killing of Tessa Majors during the commission of a robbery, will remain at a juvenile detention center, according to The New York Times.

READ MORE: Ava DuVernay slams Michael Bloomberg’s ‘non-answers’ pertaining to Central Park Exonerated Five

Goldstein said the nature of the crime warranted him remaining behind bars. The Times did not name the boy since he is a minor who is not being charged as an adult.

“I do not see a substantial change in circumstances to warrant a change,” the judge said.

The teenage boy allegedly confessed to the crime in December. According to The Times, the boy told investigators how he and two 14-year-old friends were trying to rob Majors as she walked through Harlem’s Morningside Park, but that a struggle ensued and one of his friends stabbed her.

Hannah Kaplan, who is representing the boy from the Legal Aid Society, had argued that the boy’s good attendance record at school and the stability he has living with his uncle support her case that he is not being a flight risk and he will show up for his court hearings.

“There is no reason to believe that my client is either at risk of rearrest or a failure to appear,” Kaplan said.

READ MORE: Michael Bloomberg double downs on claims he did not know his campaign was using prison labor to make calls to voters

However, Rachel Glantz, an attorney with the office of New York City’s Corporation Counsel, said the teenager had shown bad behavior in the juvenile detention center, acting “aggressively” with a staff member before he was forcibly escorted to his room.

Kaplan said the extent of that situation was that the teen said something inappropriate after the staff member tried to take away his video game.

Goldstein ruled the 13-year-old should remain in detention until his trial, which is slated to start on March 16. At this news, the Times reported that the teenager appeared down and his legal guardians, Shaquoya Carr and Roosevelt Davis, were also upset as they left court.

“We are very mindful of the fact of your detention,” Judge Goldstein said to the teenager. “And we are trying to get this case heard just as soon as we actually can.”

It’s unclear when and if the two 14-year-olds will be charged in the attack.