By Jonathon Shacat/Wick Communications
Published: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 6:02 PM CDT
The Cochise County Attorney's Office has filed a felony complaint against a 16-year-old boy who is being charged as an adult with destroying the administration building at Valley Union High School in Elfrida.
Manuel Corona, of Elfrida, is charged with one count of arson, one count of burglary of a non-residential structure, which is the high school, while armed with a deadly weapon, and one count of aggravated criminal damage.
"All three counts in the felony complaint are charges that the County Attorney's Office can charge as an adult," County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer said during a phone interview Wednesday.
He explained the county attorney has the discretion to charge juveniles as adults as long as they are at least 14 years old and they commit certain crimes.
Examples of those offenses include any Class 1 felonies, such as murder; any Class 2 felonies; certain class 3 felonies, such as assault, kidnapping or sexual offenses; and any Class 3, 4, 5 or 6 felonies involving serious physical injury or the use or discharge or threat of a deadly weapon. Also, juveniles who are chronic felony offenders can be charged as adults.
If the child is younger than 14 years old and the county attorney wants to charge the juvenile as an adult, prosecutors would need to file a transfer request and the discretion would be left up to the juvenile court judge.
The fire took place July 23, according to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. Elfrida and Sunsites fire departments responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, but the building was a total loss. More than $250,000 in damage was caused to the administration building. Another $30,000 in damage was caused to the school's science building, which was broken into and vandalized.
Corona was arrested Friday after several leads were followed and people were interviewed. He is being held at the Cochise County Jail on $20,000 bond, officials said Wednesday.
Herald/Review reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
