CUERNAVACA, Mexico — A 14-year-old boy accused of participating in four beheadings for a Mexican drug cartel will be tried under a state juvenile law that carries a maximum of three years in prison if convicted, a judge said Sunday.
The juvenile-court judge in the state of Morelos made the ruling after a hearing on whether the federal government should handle the case because of the gravity of the allegations against the boy, known as “El Ponchis.”
The judge said Mexican law allows him to preside over cases involving minors facing federal charges and that the teen will face charges of murder, organized crime and other allegations. Morelos Gov. Marco Adame Castillo has said the boy was born in San Diego, and officials were researching whether he has dual nationality.
