A teenager who was shot during a suspected armed robbery at a West Lake Forest meat market has been charged with manslaughter in the death of his accomplice.
Teony Juarez, 18, was arrested near the scene of the fatal shooting earlier this month after he and his accomplice, 16-year-old Cecil Batiz, allegedly robbed the store at gunpoint, prompting the clerk to snap at them to shoot.
Juarez was injured and Batiz was killed. Juarez is also being held on charges of armed robbery, armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal use of a weapon. No charges have been filed against the store clerk, the New Orleans Police Department said.
Although police have stated that the store clerk fired the shots that wounded Juárez and killed Batiz, Juárez is charged with the crime under the Louisiana doctrine of transferred intent. In this case, that means police believed Juarez intended to kill or cause serious bodily harm to the store manager in the heat of the moment, which resulted in Batiz's death.
Juarez is accused of robbing Sam's Meat Market in the 8400 block of I-10 Service Road with Batiz on Dec. 3 at 7:49 p.m. In video footage of the incident, Juarez demanded the store's cash while Batiz stole cellphones and held both of them. According to an affidavit for the teen's arrests, the store manager acted at gunpoint.
The manager then pulled out his pistol and opened fire. Jaurez was shot in the arm before he shot back and ran out of the store.
In his booking records, Juarez told authorities that he was a U.S. citizen. An ICE spokesman said earlier this month that Juarez is a Honduran citizen who illegally crossed the U.S. border in Texas as a minor in April 2023.
If Juarez posts bail, is acquitted or has charges against him dropped, an ICE detainer status will come into effect and he could be deported to Honduras.
Otherwise, he will remain in the U.S. until all criminal cases against him are resolved, including a gun possession case in New York that the NYPD charged him with on Sept. 21, ICE said.
Juarez is being held on a $170,000 bond. He is awaiting a hearing on Saturday to set bail on the involuntary manslaughter charge.
