ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A teen who took part in a car theft that turned deadly learned his fate in court Monday as the victim’s family made an emotional plea to the judge. A now 17-year-old Zane Dougherty told the court, he is turning his life around, getting an education and substance abuse treatment in juvenile jail.
This, after the judge warned the teen to take the proceedings seriously. “Mr. Dougherty, I can’t help but notice that you’re laughing and smiling during this. I highly suggest you take this very serious. This is a serious thing that we’re doing right now,” said Judge Cindy Leos.
“What I can say is I will never be in this position again. While being incarcerated has given me a lot of time to think about what I did and what my actions were,” Dougherty said.
Teen pleads guilty for role in attempted car theft turned fatal shooting
Prosecutors say in December 2023, 16-year-old Dougherty was out with a group calling themselves the Kia Boys, looking for Kia-brand cars to steal. They were in the process of breaking into a car in a southwest Albuquerque driveway when the homeowner, Adrian Vallejos, confronted them, and a member of the group shot and killed him…