Two more juveniles admit roles in fatal Rancho High beating

Two more juveniles have admitted to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal beating of a Rancho High student.

The teens are two of the five defendants who are under the age of 16, meaning their cases have remained in the Family Court system. Brigid Duffy, the director of the Clark County district attorney’s office’s juvenile division, confirmed two of the teens entered the admissions Wednesday.

“It goes without saying that the unintended loss of life involved in this situation is tragic and regrettable,” attorney Richard Bryant, who represents one of the defendants, said in an emailed statement. “We are hopeful that the services provided through the Juvenile Justice programs will assist our client, and the other involved youth in their rehabilitation and maturity in the wake of this incident.”

Nine teens, one as young as 13, have been arrested in connection with the fatal beating of 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis in November.

The names of the defendants who remain in juvenile court have not been released. They could be sent to the adult court system after a certification hearing, when a judge determines if a juvenile should be tried as an adult.

Four of the teenagers — Treavion Randolph, 16, Dontral Beaver, 16, Damien Hernandez, 18, and Gianni Robinson, 17 — are charged as adults. They have been indicted on charges of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit battery and have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have said Lewis was attacked near the Rancho High campus on Nov. 1 and died of his injuries six days later. The fatal beating was captured on a video that showed teens stomping, kicking and punching Lewis until he fell unconscious.

Surveillance footage and cellphone videos used as evidence showed Lewis pushing a student in an alleyway near the school. He took off his sweatshirt and punched a different student before he was swarmed by a group of teenagers who attacked him, according to transcripts of testimony given during a grand jury hearing.

The first juvenile entered an admission to voluntary manslaughter last week. The juveniles are expected to be sent to a correctional facility overseen by the Division of Child and Family Services.

In the Family Court system, juveniles are not given an exact sentence but are held in custody until they complete rehabilitation programs at a correctional facility, Duffy said. Juveniles cannot be held in custody past the age of 21.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.