The 16-year-old Connecticut student police say is responsible for the stabbing death of classmate Maren Sanchez, 16, in a school hallway is being held at a medical facility for a 15-day psychiatric commitment.
The student, whose name has not been released by police, allegedly attacked Sanchez on Friday after she declined his invitation to the Jonathan Law High School junior prom in Milford, Conn., which was scheduled for later that night. The dance has since been postponed.
Police took the unnamed suspect into custody after faculty reportedly subdued him during the attack. The Hartford Courant reports that Milford Police Chief Keith Mello said the teen was on suicide watch following his arrest. He is charged with murder as a juvenile offender.
His lawyer, Richard Meehan, said Saturday that the teen would not appear at his juvenile court date in New Haven on Monday and will, instead, remain at a medical facility on a 15-day emergency commitment, according to CBS. Meehan would not say what exactly his client was being treated for, but he did say that he fully expects him to be charged as an adult when he is let out.
Speaking to the Courant, Meehan said that he could object to the transfer of the case to an adult court, but didn’t see the point. A judge’s decision will be based on the state’s laws for serious juvenile offenders. These laws automatically transfer juvenile murder cases to the regular adult docket, meaning the suspect will be charged as an adult in Superior Court in Milford, per the Courant.
"This is a wonderful family just as the Sanchez family is, and they are devastated not only for this young man but also for Maren Sanchez's family," Meehan told the Courant. "This is a horrific tragedy for all of them."
Mark Robinson, a technical education teacher, said the suspect is the third of five brothers and has deep ties to both his family and the community.
"There's no reason to suspect he would have done this. I think that's what makes it harder," Robinson told Fox News.
Milford Alderwoman Greta Stanford said the school would remain closed for classes Monday, per Fox. There is a memorial service scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday on the school’s football field. Organizers are seeking donations for a memorial bench to be built in Sanchez’s honor.