Braelyn Rios, 15, has been waived to the St. Joseph County Superior Court.
Rios and Braxton Bird, 18, have are now both charged in connection with the death of 28-year-old Rhema Harris, this past summer. Harris worked as a corrections officer for the St. Joseph County Police Department.
Rios has been charged in Probate Court with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Criminal Recklessness.
Harris, who was not the intended victim, was struck by a bullet that entered her home during a drive-by shooting.
He is currently being held without bail at an Indiana Department of Corrections Juvenile Facility.
Bird was charged with the same three crimes in July, according to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office.
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office released this official statement regarding Rios’s transfer to adult court:
The St. Joseph County Probate Court granted the State’s petition to waive Braelyn Rios, 15, of South Bend to the St. Joseph County Superior Court.
In Probate Court, Mr. Rios was charged with the following counts for his role in the June 26, 2022, death of Rhema Harris, 28:
Count I: Murder
Count II: Attempted Murder, a level 1 felony
Count III: Criminal Recklessness, a level 5 felony
Criminal charges will now be filed in Superior Court.
Count II: Attempted Murder, a level 1 felony
Count III: Criminal Recklessness, a level 5 felony
Criminal charges will now be filed in Superior Court.
The sentencing range for Murder is 45 to 65 years. The sentencing range for a level 1 felony is 20 to 40 years. The sentencing range for a level 5 felony is one to six years.
The Probate Court ordered Mr. Rios to be held without bail at an Indiana Department of
Corrections Juvenile Facility for Safekeeping.
Corrections Juvenile Facility for Safekeeping.
On July 27, 2022, Braxton Bird, 18, of South Bend was charged in Superior Court for his role in the death of Ms. Harris. Mr. Bird was charged with the following:
Count I: Murder
Count II: Attempted Murder, a level 1 felony
Count III: Criminal Recklessness, a level 5 felony
Count I: Murder
Count II: Attempted Murder, a level 1 felony
Count III: Criminal Recklessness, a level 5 felony
1 comment
It’s sad when we live in times where a judge is the first person to tell them, that they did something wrong. Too many parents are not teaching their children to be good and productive citizen. Raising children with no discipline or consequences results in this subculture.