A former Alexandria High School student convicted of fatally stabbing a classmate during a brawl at the Bradlee Shopping Center received a five-year sentence in juvenile detention Thursday.
Ryan Joseph Vega, 17, was sentenced for the second-degree murder of Luis Mejia Hernandez, 18, who was unarmed as he fought other teens during a mob melee on May 24, 2022. The murder was captured on cellphone video at the shopping center that is within walking distance of the high school. The two teens did not know each other.
The sentence means Vega will remain in juvenile detention until his is 21. He’s already been in detention 17 months. Additionally, the judge suspended 10 years with the Virginia Department of Corrections and gave Vega five years of supervised probation, according to ALX Now. As part of his sentence, Vega must continue behavioral therapy.
The prosecutor asked for a 30-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney David Lord said Vega was addicted to fentanyl at the time of the brawl.
Osmin Mejia Romero, the victim’s father, was disappointed with the sentence. “It was not what I expected, because that’s practically nothing for the damage he did to me,” Mejia told NBC4.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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