TEXAS–Two Dallas, Texas area teenage boys are being held on charges of murdering their older classmate. The victim, a Wylie East High School senior in Collin County was identified by police as 17-year-old Ivan Mejia. The identification was released by Wylie Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Donna Valdepena. The murder was discovered by the Garland Police Department late Saturday night.
According to a friend (juvenile name withheld) interviewed by NBCDFW.com, Mejia was an ROTC student and had plans to enter the Marine Corps upon graduation from high school. It appears from the friend who claimed to know Mejia through his girlfriend, said the murder might have been motivated by jealousy. She said “the two guys liked her [Mejia’s girlfriend].”
The two boys accused in the alleged murder are both age 16 and are being held on charges of first-degree murder in the Collin County Juvenile Detention Facility. Garland Police were called Saturday evening to a suspicious vehicle call– the boys’ car had gone off the roadway near a shopping area in Garland. When police approached the boys, Sgt. Valdepena said the boys responded, “You caught us.” The police officers then asked what the boys were doing. “We are burying a body,” the boys responded.
WFAA-TV reports a probation officer who testified in the suspects’ first court appearance that Mejia was placed in a headlock by one of the accused boys and was choked to death. The officer revealed the murder involved a “significant amount of planning” and the conspiracy began about seven days ago.
The motive for the crime was confirmed as being jealousy by the probation officer’s testimony.
Though few local media outlets have released the names of the two alleged assailants, Garland PD specifically asked Breitbart Texas to withhold publishing the reported identities due to a pending investigation.
The Wylie East High School released the following statement:
WEHS staff and parents are being notified and we will have counselors available next week at the campus.
The entire Wylie ISD community is shocked and saddened by this senseless act. We are cooperating with the police as they investigate, and we hope they will be able to provide us with some understanding of how this tragedy unfolded. This incident was not connected to any school or district-sponsored activity. We are notifying Wylie East parents, and we will have counselors available at the school next week. Because this is an ongoing investigation we cannot comment any further at this time.
Breitbart Texas contacted the Wylie Police Department with additional questions. The call has not been returned at this time.
Follow Bob Price on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX
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