Teen suspect in deadly house party shooting appears in court

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – 16-year-old Cruz Medina’s detention motion was denied by a district court judge Wednesday, but that does not mean he is getting out of jail.

Medina and 19-year-old Jesse Parra are accused of shooting and killing an 18-year-old Albuquerque Academy student at a house party in December 2022.

During Medina’s hearing Wednesday, there was a back-and-forth between the state and the judge on whether the district court had the jurisdiction to hear the teen’s case.

The state argued that sending his case down to juvenile court would drag things out.  

Ultimately, the district judge decided not to move forward with his case.  She instead remanded it to juvenile court and noted that Medina has not yet been indicted.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office told KOB 4 attorneys in juvenile court are filing charges for Medina, and there will likely be a detention hearing for him Thursday or Friday.