Youth in Deadly Shootout to Be Tried as an Adult
ORANGE — A 17-year-old Huntington Beach youth was ordered Friday to stand trial as an adult for his role in a November shootout that terrorized a Huntington Beach neighborhood, leaving one person dead and two people wounded, including a sheriff’s deputy.
During a Juvenile Court hearing, Orange County Superior Court Judge Francisco P. Briseno ruled that Aerick William Bacon should be treated as an adult, in part because of the seriousness of the charges, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jim Tanizaki said.
Bacon, Keith Gonzalez, 19, of Garden Grove, and Travis Claude, 19, of Long Beach face four felony counts each, including conspiracy, attempted murder in the second degree, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, he said. A fourth suspect, 17-year-old Ryan Mones of Huntington Beach, committed suicide rather than face arrest, officials said.
The shootout took place on Nov. 7 when a deputy approached the four youths sitting in a car, allegedly planning a robbery, officials said. The youths opened fire on the deputy, and then took refuge in a condominium complex, where a massive search involving more than 40 officers was launched.
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