juveniles news stories on Newser

3 Teens Set Another on Fire, Police Say

Nick McMaster — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:32:48 CDT

Three Florida teens have been charged with the brutal crime of dousing another teenager with a flammable liquid and setting him on fire. The 15-year-old victim, who was sitting by a pool at the time of the attack, is in serious condition and is expected to remain hospitalized for 5...

Court Scraps Pa. Juvenile Convictions

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:30:41 CDT

Pennsylvania's highest court today overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions issued by a corrupt judge who took millions of dollars in kickbacks from youth detention centers. The state Supreme Court ruled that former judge Mark Ciavarella violated the constitutional rights of youth offenders who appeared in his courtroom without lawyers between...

Would-Be Teen Hijacker Was Suicidal, Cops Say

Kevin Spak — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:14:19 CST

A California teenager who planned to hijack a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville is in state custody in Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. The 16-year-old had handcuffs and other suspicious items when he was detained, and authorities believe he was suicidal. The FBI dismissed reports he planned to crash the...

Teens Kill 7-Year-Old With Mortal Kombat Moves

Matt Cantor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:40:03 CST

A 16-year-old girl and her boyfriend beat to death her little sister while imitating moves from the Mortal Kombat video game, Colorado police say. Heather Trujillo and Lamar Roberts, 17, kicked, punched, and body-slammed 7-year-old Zoe Garcia until she was unconscious, CNN reports. They have been charged as adults with...

Mall Shooter Spent 2 Years in Treatment

Rob Quinn — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:32:00 CST

Mall shooter Robert Hawkins spent two years in extensive care at a Nebraska home for troubled teens, where an official said there was "no indication" he would launch one of the deadliest killing rampages in American history, the New York Times reports. He spent a total of five years in...

'Little Emperors' Run Riot in China

Rob Quinn — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:12:00 CST

China is seeing an explosion in youth crime, and the effects of the one-child policy and sweeping social and technological change are thought to be partly to blame, reports Reuters. Juvenile delinquency has doubled in the last decade, with offenders getting bolder and more innovative. "They are committing new types...

8-Year-Old Boy & Pals Charged in Playmate's Rape

Peter Fearon — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:30:00 CST

Three little boys—one aged 8 and two aged 9—appeared yesterday in a Georgia court accused of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old playmate. They stood before the judge in handcuffs and blue jail jump suits. Their playmate told police the three dragged her into a woods, where one of...