DETROIT (WWJ) A judge will have the option to charge a 13-year-old Detroit boy, accused of shooting his father then stealing his (the father's) car, as an adult.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said her office is charging the teen with an Adult Designation. That means a judge can choose whether to sentence him as an adult or a juvenile. The judge will also be able to decide if he should receive an adult sentence if he's not rehabilitated.
Police say the shooting happened on August 11 (2026) at a home on Bretton, near Southfield and Fenkell. Officers arrived to find the victim on the front porch of the home suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. The father survived.
According to police, the teen then fled the scene in his father's vehicle. Authorities found the 13-year-old later that day in Troy, Ohio, about 20 miles north of Dayton.
Prosecutors charged the 13-year-old with one count of Assault with Intent to Murder, one count of Discharge with a Firearm in or at a Building, and one count of Unlawfully Driving Away In An Automobile.
“It is highly unusual for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to adult designate a Respondent that is 13 years old. We struggled with this decision...." Worthy said. "We have carefully considered the alleged horrific facts and evidence in this case, and we are convinced that this is the best course of action, as well as being in the best interest of justice."
The teen was extradited to Michigan on Friday, August 21, and appeared in court on Saturday. He's due back in court on August 31.
The judge will be able to decide whether to charge him as an adult or juvenile.
The judge will be able to decide whether to charge him as an adult or juvenile.
