14-year-old accused of murdering parents in Miramonte makes first court appearance
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A 14-year-old Fresno County boy appeared emotionless in juvenile court to face charges late Wednesday afternoon.
He sat in an orange sweater without handcuffs, just a few feet away from eight family members.
The boy, who Action News is not naming because of his age, is accused in a violent incident that left his parents, Lue Yang and Se Vang, dead and his 11-year-old sister critically injured last Wednesday night.
His 7-year-old brother was not hurt.
The husband and wife were at their Miramonte home with their three children that night when the 14-year-old called the sheriff's office about a home invasion.
He said somebody broke in with a gun and sped away in a silver pickup truck.
But when deputies arrived, they said the boy's story didn't line up, and he became a suspect.
Sheriff John Zanoni said the boy fabricated the whole thing.
RELATED: 14-year-old accused of killing parents in Fresno County will not be tried as an adult, DA says
It came as a shock to the rural community and to those at Dunlap Elementary School, where the suspect and his two siblings are students.
"Our mountain community is a tight-knit community. Dunlap School is a tight-knit school community, so anything that happens in the area affects everybody. Everybody cares for everybody, so what we've got to do is provide support for staff and students in a case like this, which is so tragic," explained Sergio Rodriguez, a student services administrator for Kings Canyon Unified.
Kings Canyon Unified School District has provided a phone number for families to access support services until school resumes on January 16th.
Rodriguez told Action News some families have already reached out. Dunlap Elementary is now getting ready for students to return from winter break later this month.
"We'll be sending extra staff up once school starts again. That grief team will be available in person, so if we have staff and students that need support, we'll be there for them," said Rodriguez.
As the community struggles to understand the tragedy, the district attorney's office has filed what's called a juvenile petition against the 14-year-old suspect.
Because he's under 16, the DA's office cannot charge him as an adult, and the exact charges are under seal.
Now, the juvenile court will hold what's similar to a criminal trial and determine if it has the authority or jurisdiction to sentence him to juvenile detention.
If that happens, the boy would be released by the time he's 25.
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