A Ruskin 16-year-old accused of killing a 19-year-old during what investigators say was a drug deal gone bad was back in court Thursday morning, as prosecutors moved to have him tried as an adult. The teen is already locked up on a slate of serious felonies and remains held without bond.
What investigators say
According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office press release, deputies got a 911 call just after 1:19 a.m. on March 15 and later found a vehicle in a ditch along 19th Avenue Northeast, following reports of gunfire at a home on the 5000 block of White Chicory Drive in Apollo Beach.
The driver, 19-year-old Jonathan Blue, was rushed to a hospital and later died. A female passenger was also hospitalized and is now listed in stable condition, according to investigators.
Detectives identified 16-year-old James Middlebrooks as the suspect, the sheriff's office said. A warrant filed on March 18 upgraded his charges to first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree murder and two counts of shooting at or within a vehicle.
In court Thursday
Middlebrooks appeared in court Thursday morning for an arraignment that had originally been scheduled for April 23, WTSP reported.
Prosecutors argued he poses a danger to the community and asked to prosecute him as an adult. A judge has previously ordered that Middlebrooks be held without bond.
Courtroom developments
At an earlier pretrial hearing, prosecutors told the court the shooting stemmed from a planned narcotics transaction and that a key witness was held in contempt after repeatedly refusing to cooperate, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
"This is a case where we have one person dead and another seriously injured over marijuana," the prosecutor said, per the station.
Legal stakes
If Middlebrooks is prosecuted and convicted as an adult on the first-degree murder charge, Florida law allows for a sentence of up to life in prison, according to the Florida Senate. The U.S. Supreme Court has barred the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, as detailed in Justia's summary of Roper v. Simmons.
The slate of charges in the case also includes attempted first-degree murder, shooting into a vehicle, tampering with evidence and a minor-in-possession firearm count, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
What’s next
Middlebrooks' formal arraignment was scheduled for April 23, with additional hearings expected as the State Attorney's Office prepares the case, Tampa Bay 28 reported.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information to contact investigators.
