ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Police have announced the arrest of two teenagers for their connection to the fatal hit-and-run of a bicyclist in New Mexico that happened in 2024.
According to ABC News, the boys, ages 11 and 13, have been arrested after police said they and one other juvenile, a 15-year-old police are still searching for, intentionally ran down 63-year-old Scott Habermehl, filming the entire incident from inside the vehicle. The 15-year-old also faces a murder charge for his role in the incident.
Habermehl was riding in a bike lane the morning of May 29, 2024, while commuting to work when he was struck in a hit-and-run. Police said there were no witnesses who saw the vehicle flee and investigators were unable to find any surveillance footage of the incident. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said that the case likely would have gone unsolved, until video taken from inside the vehicle was posted to social media.
The video, which police released on Tuesday, March 18th, is very disturbing. Medina said, "You hear the discussion of, they see the guy on the bike, and they make the decision that they're going to strike him, they're just going to bump him, and they murdered this individual. We've looked at it, and it is just horrific that this could be done to another human being."
Police got a new lead on the case in February after two juveniles reported the video, one to a parent and the other to a middle school official in Albuquerque. At a press conference, Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock with the Albuquerque Police Department's criminal investigation division, said, "The video had been posted to Instagram showing three individuals in a car purposely running over a cyclist."
Officers determined that the video was from the May 29, 2024, hit-and-run, and were able to identify the three individuals in the car, which is believed to have been stolen. Hartsock said that the three juveniles were "literally laughing about what they had just done as they fled." In the video, someone can be heard asking, "Are you guys recording it?"
The back passenger, who police said is believed to be the 15-year-old, says to "just bump him, brah" after the car accelerates. The driver responds, "Like bump him?" The back passenger says, "Yeah, just bump him. Go like 15, 20." The video released by police ends just before the collision.
Medina said that the three juveniles are believed to be friends. Authorities believe the 13-year-old was the one driving at the time of the hit-and-run. Hartsock said police obtained murder arrest warrants for the two teenagers late last week.
The 13-year-old was taken into custody on Monday, March 17th and booked into a juvenile detention center. He had been on juvenile probation following an arrest by Albuquerque police in 2024. He was arrested on an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death, and unlawful possession of handgun by a person.
The 11-year-old will be placed in the Children, Youth, and Families Department and given an evaluation. Police are now asking the public for their help in locating the 15-year-old. Hartsock urged the 15-year-old, who faces the same charges as the 13-year-old, to turn himself in.
The 11-year-old is a missing person out of Torrance County and was listed as a runaway. Police said he is too young to be charged and booked into a correctional facility. Medina said, "We hope that the rest of the system is able to deal with this individual and make sure there's consequences for what they have done, and make sure that they're rehabilitated if it's possible."
The 11-year-old was holding the gun in the video. Medina said it is unclear what happened to the weapon. He said, "All of us that have kids in here, think of your 11-year-old out doing this. It is just mind-boggling."
Habermehl worked at Sandia National Labs and is survived by his wife and two sons. Medina has asked for privacy for the family at this time. He said, "They, in a way, suffered the first time, feeling that this individual was the victim of a motor vehicle death. Now, with the new information that's come out, I'm sure it ripped open new wounds."
The Mayor, Tim Keller commended the police department on its investigation. He said, "Now we know what happened, we can at least tell the truth about what happened to Scott. That truth involves a truth we all have to hold ourselves accountable to, which is we each have a role to play. And in this case, there are dozens and dozens of ways, dozens of cracks that this child, these children, fell through. But, that is never an excuse."
According to ABC News, the boys, ages 11 and 13, have been arrested after police said they and one other juvenile, a 15-year-old police are still searching for, intentionally ran down 63-year-old Scott Habermehl, filming the entire incident from inside the vehicle. The 15-year-old also faces a murder charge for his role in the incident.
Habermehl was riding in a bike lane the morning of May 29, 2024, while commuting to work when he was struck in a hit-and-run. Police said there were no witnesses who saw the vehicle flee and investigators were unable to find any surveillance footage of the incident. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said that the case likely would have gone unsolved, until video taken from inside the vehicle was posted to social media.
The video, which police released on Tuesday, March 18th, is very disturbing. Medina said, "You hear the discussion of, they see the guy on the bike, and they make the decision that they're going to strike him, they're just going to bump him, and they murdered this individual. We've looked at it, and it is just horrific that this could be done to another human being."
Police got a new lead on the case in February after two juveniles reported the video, one to a parent and the other to a middle school official in Albuquerque. At a press conference, Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock with the Albuquerque Police Department's criminal investigation division, said, "The video had been posted to Instagram showing three individuals in a car purposely running over a cyclist."
Officers determined that the video was from the May 29, 2024, hit-and-run, and were able to identify the three individuals in the car, which is believed to have been stolen. Hartsock said that the three juveniles were "literally laughing about what they had just done as they fled." In the video, someone can be heard asking, "Are you guys recording it?"
The back passenger, who police said is believed to be the 15-year-old, says to "just bump him, brah" after the car accelerates. The driver responds, "Like bump him?" The back passenger says, "Yeah, just bump him. Go like 15, 20." The video released by police ends just before the collision.
Medina said that the three juveniles are believed to be friends. Authorities believe the 13-year-old was the one driving at the time of the hit-and-run. Hartsock said police obtained murder arrest warrants for the two teenagers late last week.
The 13-year-old was taken into custody on Monday, March 17th and booked into a juvenile detention center. He had been on juvenile probation following an arrest by Albuquerque police in 2024. He was arrested on an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death, and unlawful possession of handgun by a person.
The 11-year-old will be placed in the Children, Youth, and Families Department and given an evaluation. Police are now asking the public for their help in locating the 15-year-old. Hartsock urged the 15-year-old, who faces the same charges as the 13-year-old, to turn himself in.
The 11-year-old is a missing person out of Torrance County and was listed as a runaway. Police said he is too young to be charged and booked into a correctional facility. Medina said, "We hope that the rest of the system is able to deal with this individual and make sure there's consequences for what they have done, and make sure that they're rehabilitated if it's possible."
The 11-year-old was holding the gun in the video. Medina said it is unclear what happened to the weapon. He said, "All of us that have kids in here, think of your 11-year-old out doing this. It is just mind-boggling."
Habermehl worked at Sandia National Labs and is survived by his wife and two sons. Medina has asked for privacy for the family at this time. He said, "They, in a way, suffered the first time, feeling that this individual was the victim of a motor vehicle death. Now, with the new information that's come out, I'm sure it ripped open new wounds."
The Mayor, Tim Keller commended the police department on its investigation. He said, "Now we know what happened, we can at least tell the truth about what happened to Scott. That truth involves a truth we all have to hold ourselves accountable to, which is we each have a role to play. And in this case, there are dozens and dozens of ways, dozens of cracks that this child, these children, fell through. But, that is never an excuse."
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