New Jersey

3 Teens Charged as Adults in Shooting Death of NJ Girl, 14

Three juveniles charged in the street shooting death of a 14-year-old New Jersey girl last year will be tried as adults.

Passaic County prosecutors tell The Record that a state Family Court judge found enough evidence against 16-year-old Quajeir Culbreath, 17-year-old Jeavonte Dennis and 18-year-old Davonte Lewis to transfer their cases to adult court.

The three teens and four adults were charged in the Sept. 20 slaying of Nazerah Bugg, who authorities have said was not the intended target.

Three of the four adult defendants entered not guilty pleas last fall. Baseem Williams, the fourth adult charged, also entered a guilty plea after authorities tracked him down in an intense month-long manhunt.

Authorities have said 15 shots were fired into a crowd from at least two handguns during the incident, which left another teen wounded.

Prosecutors have said the slaying of Bugg was not gang-related. They attributed the shooting to ongoing neighborhood disputes in Paterson's 1st and 4th wards.

Nazerah's death came about two months after another Paterson girl, 12-year-old Genesis Rincon, was killed when a stray bullet struck her while she was riding a scooter to a family gathering.

The deaths spurred many residents to call on local and state leaders to do more to help end the ongoing violence in the city.

Even though their case has been moved to adult court, the three teen defendants will remain in juvenile facilities.

They all face murder and weapons charges.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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