In Santa Fe, New Mexico, law enforcement has charged a 13-year-old with murder in connection to a fatal hit-and-run incident on a cyclist in Albuquerque, with an 11-year-old taken into custody and a 15-year-old still being sought. The event, which occurred in May 2024 and resulted in the death of 63-year-old physicist Scott Dwight Habermehl, was caught on video from within a stolen car.
The 13-year-old boy is believed to have been driving the vehicle that struck Habermehl as he commuted by bicycle to his job at Sandia National Laboratories. The other youths were reportedly passengers when the incident took place. The video recording of the accident was shared on social media and later reported to authorities when a middle school student informed a principal.
A segment of the video, released by police, captures the vehicle speeding towards the cyclist, with a voice, allegedly belonging to the 15-year-old, instructing to “Just bump him, brah.” The driver is heard clarifying, “Like bump him?” to which a passenger responds, “Yeah, just bump him. Go like … 15 … 20.” The car is shown moving into a dedicated bike lane before a series of disturbing sounds, described by law enforcement as “metal flexing,” are heard.
Charges filed against the 13-year-old and the 15-year-old include open counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident causing severe harm or death, and unlawful handgun possession. The 11-year-old, meanwhile, will be reviewed by the state’s Children, Youth & Families Department following a prior arrest on a separate felony warrant shortly after the incident.
Authorities, along with prosecutors and state social workers, are evaluating potential charges for the 11-year-old. For minors under 13, offenses are typically adjudicated in juvenile courts with possible detention ending at age 21. New Mexico law prohibits the detention of children 11 and younger at juvenile centers.
Legal representation for the 13-year-old, led by Michael Rosenfield, declined to discuss details before an initial meeting. New Mexico law generally limits adult court trials to cases involving teenagers 15 to 18, or sometimes 14, solely for first-degree murder after a grand jury verdict. Measures can allow for adult sentencing in juvenile courts for critical offenses, explained Dennica Torres from the Law Offices of the Public Defender.
This case echoes a similar 2023 incident in Las Vegas where teenagers filmed themselves deliberately hitting a bicyclist, resulting in a death. Legislators in New Mexico have proposed a bill to slightly broaden the scope of juvenile cases eligible for adult sentencing. This bill received initial House approval yet awaits expedited Senate review before the legislative session concludes soon.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed her dismay over the collision video and criticized the legislative inertia surrounding juvenile justice reform efforts.