MOUNT VERNON — An 18-year-old man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as a 16-year-old in 2018 has had his case returned to Skagit County Superior Court.
The state Court of Appeals ruled last week that a judge must re-examine whether Cristian Alexander Quijas, who was 15 when he shot and killed another teen boy in Burlington in March 2017, should have been charged as a juvenile instead of as an adult.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports Quijas reportedly shot Angel Estrada, 16, five times — including in the back three times — because Estrada, a rival gang member, was dating his sister.
According to state law, 16- or 17-year-olds charged with qualifying violent offenses, including murder, are automatically charged as adults.
But because Quijas was 15 at the time of the shooting, a judge had to determine whether to keep his case in the juvenile system or move it to the adult system.
In order to make that decision, a judge needed to consider eight factors, including the seriousness of the offense; the juvenile’s sophistication level and home life; any previous criminal history; and how likely the juvenile is to be rehabilitated and the public’s need for protection from them.
While not all eight of those factors needed to be ruled upon, Quijas’ lawyer alleged only one factor — the seriousness of the crime — was taken into account.
After reviewing the case however, the Court of Appeals found that Skagit County Superior Court Judge Brian Stiles had reviewed each of the eight factors, and found cause with each to transfer Quijas to the adult court system.
“This offense is a crime that the public needs heightened protection from this type of activity in our community,” Stiles wrote in his decision at the time. “… This is aggressive, violent and willful behavior.”
However, the Court of Appeals wrote, an additional claim by Quijas’ lawyer of racial bias in the criminal justice system was not addressed during that five-day hearing.
