UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George's County judge decided that the 17-year-old arrested for the deadly shooting of DuVal High School student will be held without bond at an adult detention center after being criminally charged with first- and second-degree murder.
The teenage boy, who is being charged as an adult, made his first court appearance virtually exactly a week after the deadly shooting of Jayda Medrano-Moore, 16.
His name was not used during the proceedings, but the 17-year-old's attorney and the Prince George's State Attorney's office identified him using his last name Diaby.
The teenager's lawyer, Gabriel Christian argued that because Diaby does not have a prior criminal record, the judge should have considered house arrest. However, District Judge Llamilet Gutierrez who proceeded over the hearing said a 17-year-old should not have criminal history and deemed Diaby a threat to the community.
Gutierrez also stated that she believed there was a risk of flight in the case, because the Flower High School student fled the scene following the Monday afternoon shooting.
Charging documents indicate that Diaby was in a car with other people. They decided to follow a group and initiate a fight. Court documents indicate that Medrano-Moore tried to diffuse the situation, before being shot.
According to the court issued documents, Diaby argued that the discharging of the weapon was accidental, a claim that the Prince George's State's Attorney's Office refuted during a news conference following the initial hearing.
"The information that we have from our investigation is that this young girl was pistol-whipped, and the gun was placed to her head, and she was shot point blank. We do not feel as if this was an accident," said Assistant State Attorney William Porter.
Medrano-Moore's family broke down crying as Porter read the details of the shooting in the courtroom.
The Prince George's County's State Attorney's office said they will be pursuing criminal charges against the other four to five people that were in the car with Diaby. There have been no additional arrests in this case.
The DuVal High School student's uncle Alegenis Medrano told reporters his family was content than an arrest had been made and that the suspect would not be released but he added, "It still doesn't bring her back to life; it doesn't bring her back."
Medrano says this is the second tragedy that has hit the family this year. He says Medrano-Moore's stepfather who raised her since she was born also passed away in April.
"A message for the kids out there, please, please, please, if it is a silly fight or whatever, no need for guns," Alegenis Medrano added.
Diaby's lawyer echoed a similar message before reading what he says was a letter that the Diaby family wrote to Medrano-Moore's loved ones. "We the Diaby family wish to extend our profound condolences to Miss Jayda Medrano-Moore, who is gone, who has been taken away from us. It pains our hearts, it certainly pains my heart, that our son is somehow implicated in this. We maintain his innocence," Christian read.
The defense lawyer says the details of what transpired a week ago were still unclear. During the hearing Christian mentioned that Diaby came from a prominent and active family in the Muslim community and that his father had served as an Arabic translator at the Pentagon.
Christian says he will be working to get Diaby to be tried as a minor.
The gun that was issued in the deadly shooting has not been recovered according to the Prince George's State Attorney's Office.
Diaby is set back in court for a preliminary court hearing on Oct. 16, but Braveboy's office said.
The 17-year-old has a preliminary hearing Oct. 16, but the State Attorney's office said they might consider indicting the teenager.