Fresno Co. teen admits to murdering both parents, trying to kill sister in Miramonte
A stunning confession came in a Fresno County courtroom on Wednesday as a teenage boy admitted to murdering his parents and then trying to kill his sister in 2023.
The 16-year-old boy smirked as he entered the courtroom in an orange shirt and sat next to his public defender. None of his family members was present.
The judge asked the boy if he understood that his admission would waive his right to a trial.
"Yes, ma'am," the boy, whom the judge ordered not to be named, said.
"He's admitting to the facts that he killed two other people and attempted to kill another person," Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi said.
The boy's admission comes nearly two years after the attack at a home on Dunlap Road in the small mountain community of Miramonte.
Police dispatch traffic reveals the chaos as the teen claimed someone else was to blame.
"(Reporting party) screaming on the line, saying someone broke into his house with a gun," the dispatcher said. "Can hear children crying. (Reporting party) frantic. Not answering questions."
Investigators discovered it was a "fabricated story," and quickly turned to the caller.
Prosecutors say the boy killed Lue Yang and Se Vang, both 37, and caused "major injuries" to his 11-year-old younger sister.
"It's very seldom you see a crime this egregious committed by a 14-year-old using a firearm," Capozzi said.
In adult court, a double-murder charge could have brought a life prison sentence. But in this case, state law prevented prosecutors from seeking a transfer.
The juvenile system focuses on rehabilitation, and detention there can last up to seven years maximum.
"Because someone so young, someone that's a juvenile, the hope is that they would change as they get older," Capozzi said.
With the boy's admission, there is no need for evidence to come out in court. The public will never know the details or the motivation that could have led a 14-year-old to kill his parents and stab his sister.
"The legislature has thought, by keeping it sealed, (that it) would help that person as he develops throughout the years," Capozzi said.
The sentencing for the teenage boy is currently set for Christmas Eve, three days before the second anniversary of the deadly attack.
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