14-Year-Old Boy Charged With Murder Accused of Fatally Shooting Pregnant Teen, Her Mother

A police car in a stock photo. (Nick Starichenko/Shutterstock)

A 14-year-old boy has been charged in relation to the fatal shooting of a teen, her unborn baby, and the teen’s mother in San Antonio, Texas, according to police.

The boy, who has not been identified due to his age, was arrested on May 27 for the shooting that occurred on April 9 at Rosemont at University Park Apartments in the 100 block of Emerald Ash, reported KSAT, citing San Antonio Police.

The victims have been identified as Janette Quiroz, 37, and Quiroz’s pregnant 18-year-old daughter, Bernadette Quiroz. They were shot while standing next to their SUV at the apartments, KSAT reported previously.

First responders pronounced Quiroz dead at the scene, while they rushed Bernadette to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. But doctors were able to deliver her child by c-section despite not being able to save her. The infant, a girl named Tabitha Quiroz, was only able to survive three days before she also died.

Quiroz’s mother and Bernadette’s grandmother, Malinda Quiroz, told the news station back in April that she had to make the difficult decision to turn off the life support for the newborn.

“Even though I would have liked for her to be here with us, but unfortunately, I didn’t want her to suffer,“ Malinda Quiroz said. ”So I made that decision. And all I can say is she went with her mom because she was dead by the time they got her to the hospital, too. She was brain dead. So I’m saying she died with her mommy. And the only thing that consoles me is that ‘OK, well this happened. So I have to return her back to her mommy.’”

The 14-year-old suspect was already being held at a juvenile detention center on an unrelated aggravated robbery charge at the time he was charged with capital murder, reported mySA, according to police.

Police have not released further details about the case or the arrests.

The victims’ family members told KSAT back in April that they hope the gunman will face the death penalty.

“I feel like, we’re in Texas. So I want them to get the full punishment. I don’t care how old you are, or how young you are, you deserve the death punishment,” said Damian Quiroz, who is Bernadette’s older brother.

9-Year-Old Charged with Mom’s Murder

In another case, a 9-year-old boy was charged with murder after allegedly shooting his mother dead with a rifle, reported 24 Hour News 8.

Pauline Randol, 51, was shot dead on May 6 at a home in Fawn River Township in Michigan. Her young son, who has not been named due to his age, was charged with murder the following day. He is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at a state-run juvenile facility, according to the news outlet.

Randol’s grieving daughter, Harley Martin, said her brother, who was adopted from Indiana about two years ago, came from a troubled situation where his biological mother was using drugs during her pregnancy. She added that the boy has a history of mental health problems and that her mother was worried that he would start hurting people.

“She had told her doctor one time she was so scared she was raising the next serial killer,” Martin told the news website.

But nobody expected the boy to hurt Randol.

Martin said although she has revealed her mother’s concerns, she wants people to know her brother is not a bad kid.

“He loved his mom. I don’t want people to think he did not love his mom,” Martin said.

She added that her brother is still confused about what is happening, even asking where his mother is.

“He doesn’t know what he did. He doesn’t understand what’s going on right now at all,” she added. “He doesn’t understand why he can’t come home or anything.”

The boy’s attorney, T.J. Reed, told 24 Hour News 8 in a statement that they would not comment on the specifics of the care but warned people to not “pre-judge this child based on partial or unknown facts.”

“Based on the severity of the charges and the age of the accused it is important to keep focused of the future and long term impact these proceedings and charges may have on a child of this age,” the statement read.