Las Vegas Teens Accused of Fatally Beating Jonathan Lewis Will Not Face Murder Charges as Adults

Four Las Vegas, Nevada, teenagers accused in the fatal beating of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis will not face murder charges as adults.

In Juvenile Court on Thursday, the suspects agreed to enter a plea to voluntary manslaughter, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The outlet continued:

Treavion Randolph, 16, Dontral Beaver, 16, Damien Hernandez, 18, and Gianni Robinson, 17, will be sent back to Juvenile Court and will face an undetermined length of imprisonment in a juvenile detention center, attorneys announced Thursday during a hearing in front of District Judge Tierra Jones.

The teens initially faced second-degree murder and conspiracy charges as four of the nine teenagers arrested in connection with Lewis’ death, after he was attacked on Nov. 1 outside Rancho High School.

Lewis was beaten to death after standing up for a smaller friend whom the mob dumped into a trashcan, Breitbart News reported November 13.

The victim’s mother, Mellissa Ready, was shocked when she learned that Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson accepted the plea deal, according to a New York Post article published on Friday.

“There is no justice for my son Jonathan Lewis, [who] was stomped to death and murdered while 20 people stood there and did nothing more than film it and broadcast it to social media,” she said.

Video footage shows the horrific beating as bystanders film the incident:

Ready claimed the district attorney’s office did not tell her about a deal being reached, but the office said she was aware of the negotiations before the court proceeding, per the Review-Journal.

“During Thursday’s court hearing, Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani told the judge that if any of the defendants rescind on the deal, all four teenagers will again face charges as adults,” the outlet said.

Before the beating, Lewis reportedly pushed a student, who was one of the teens officers eventually arrested, before he hit another young person. Moments later, the fight erupted. According to defense attorneys, Lewis’s friend was armed with a knife when the fight broke out.