8 teens arrested in fatal beating of Las Vegas teen Jonathan Lewis

Information

By David Propper

Eight teenagers have been arrested and charged with homicide within the “mindless beating” of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr. as authorities revealed Tuesday the after-school combat in Las Vegas began over stolen headphones.

The eight suspects have been taken into custody and booked in juvenile corridor after the disturbing footage of the vicious beatdown unfold throughout social media in current days, the Las Vegas Metro Police Division stated in a press convention.

Lewis died on Nov. 7 — lower than per week after he was punched and kicked on the bottom in a again alley close to Rancho Excessive Faculty.

His explanation for loss of life was blunt power trauma and categorized as a murder, authorities stated throughout the press convention streamed by the Las Vegas Assessment Journal.

The arrested teenagers, starting from ages 13 to 17 and Rancho Excessive Faculty college students, have been rapidly recognized from the graphic video, police stated. Two extra unidentified suspects are nonetheless being sought.

Not one of the arrested teenagers have been named by police due to their ages.

The preliminary combat on Nov. 1 between Lewis and an unnamed peer was over stolen wi-fi headphones and probably a stolen vape pen stemming from incidents earlier within the week, stated Las Vegas Murder Lt. Jason Johansson.

The objects have been stolen both from Lewis or considered one of Lewis’ pals, police stated.

The sufferer’s father, additionally named Jonathan Lewis, has beforehand stated Lewis was standing up for considered one of his smaller pals earlier than the deadly melee.

“I simply love my kids with all my coronary heart, and it’s simply unimaginable that we may ever come thus far,” Lewis’ father beforehand advised 8 Information Now.

After the primary punch was thrown between Lewis and his peer, a mob of scholars swarmed him and pushed him to the bottom the place they continued their assault, in line with footage posted on-line.

Johansson known as the brutal assault “very void of humanity” and “heinous.”

He confused police shouldn’t have proof the beating was a hate crime in response to hypothesis the assault concerned a racial part.

The investigation is “removed from over,” as Las Vegas police are searching for the general public’s assist in figuring out different assailants, Undersheriff Andrew Walsh stated.