Two teenagers in California have been sentenced to probation after they admitted to beating their 13-year-old classmate to death.
It was in September 2019 when the teens attacked Diego Stolz in Landmark Middle School. Video filmed by one of the students showed him being punched multiple times before he fell and hit his head on a pillar.
But the two teens continued to beat him up and the victim never regained consciousness.
On Friday, the 14-year-olds were released back into their parents’ custody.
The judge ruled that both of them will undergo 150 hours of community service, attend a character-building program, and enroll in therapy, the Press-Enterprise reported.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Roger A Luebs also rejected the Probation Department’s recommendation for prison time.
The teens each spent 47 days in juvenile hall.
Judge Lubebs said he felt putting them in jail as adult criminals would be harmful, KABC reported.
During his ruling, Luebs said as per the Enterprise: “These kids have not had enough experience delivering empathy. You guys are not the center of the world and you guys need to start figuring that out.”
The teens are scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court on June 25. They have been warned that they will be sent back to juvenile hall if they don’t comply with the terms of their probation.
Stolz’s aunt, Juana Salcedo, who raised the 13-year-old after he was orphaned, said: “It’s difficult to put into words many emotions and the pain in my heart.
“I will continue to fight for my son. I wouldn’t have allowed my son to beat up somebody else.”
Since Stolz’s tragic death, the Moreno Valley Unified School District has improved the way they respond to reports of bullying.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!
Replaced!