A Socorro mother of four is pleading with prosecutors to treat the teenage suspects in her husband's killing like adults, not kids. Her husband, 33-year-old Jose Avila, was shot in the driveway of their family home during a late-December house party, and his widow, Areli Marquez, says her children are now left picking through the wreckage.
According to investigators, deputies were called out around 10:04 p.m. on Dec. 27 to reports of gunfire in the 10100 block of Cyan Valley Road. Three people were taken to area hospitals, and Avila later died. Witnesses told investigators a fight broke out at the gathering and that as a group drove away, someone fired back toward the home, hitting Avila. Those details were reported in the holiday weekend shooting near the EPCC campus coverage, according to Hoodline.
Arrests And Charges
Detectives ultimately identified four suspects and made a series of arrests. Two juveniles were booked into the Juvenile Probation Department on murder and aggravated assault (mass shooting) charges. Deputies also arrested 17-year-old David Ramirez on a disorderly-conduct count for allegedly displaying a firearm, and 19-year-old Gael Quintana on a tampering-with-evidence charge. Both Ramirez and Quintana were booked into the county jail on $10,000 bonds, according to KTSM.
Family Demands And Official Response
Marquez has made it clear she wants prosecutors to go beyond the juvenile system for the two younger suspects. Speaking to reporters, she argued they should be tried as adults, saying, “They didn't think about the consequences. They destroyed our family.” She is urging officials to pursue the toughest possible path rather than keep the case in juvenile court.
The El Paso County Attorney’s Office is not saying whether it will seek to move the juvenile cases into adult court. Spokesman Elhiu Dominguez told reporters that juvenile records and proceedings are confidential and could not be discussed publicly, as reported by KFOX.
How Juvenile Transfer To Adult Court Works
If prosecutors decide to seek adult charges, the district attorney must first file a petition in juvenile court and request what is known as a transfer, or waiver, hearing. Only if a judge agrees to certify the youth as an adult can the case move into traditional criminal court.
Under Texas law, a juvenile who is 14 or older can be certified for adult prosecution in certain serious felony cases. The criteria and procedures are laid out in Texas Family Code §54.02.
What Happens Next
The two juveniles remain in juvenile custody while the transfer question hangs in the air. Ramirez and Quintana are free on bond as their own cases move forward.
Officials say the El Paso County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit led the investigation, with help from the Texas Rangers and school-district police. Prosecutors and a juvenile judge will ultimately decide whether to pursue certification to adult court, while Avila’s family waits for a formal charging decision. For additional context on the case and its fallout, see recent reporting from KVIA.
