The Tehama prosecutor speaks out about juveniles accused of murdering a teenager

TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. – The three young men arrested for the murder of 16-year-old Dominic Carrillo had or will have their first days in court this week or in the near future.

Two of the three arrested are young people under the age of 18. Tehama County District Attorney Matt Rogers says he is pushing for at least one of the teens to be released from juvenile court despite changes in the law that make it more difficult to try juveniles as adults.

“We essentially have to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the juvenile is not amenable to treatment in the juvenile justice system,” Rogers explained. “It’s a five-step test.”

The three arrested were Nathan Olney Reep, 19 years old; Blake Michael Bush, 17 years old; and Ryan Scott Piper, who is only 15 years old. All three are charged with first-degree murder. However, the DA's office believes Bush was the one who pulled the trigger, which is why they have asked to have his case moved out of the juvenile justice system.

Because he is almost 18 years old and committed such a serious crime, I believe and we believe it is in the best interest of public safety to prosecute him.

It's a move they're still considering for Piper. But he says recent changes to the law mean prosecutors will now have to argue multiple times before a judge to move the trial to adult court and face strict scrutiny.

“It may take some time to negotiate the matter,” he said. “A transfer from juvenile court to adult court is automatically appealed.” It automatically goes to the appeals court for review under state law. “

Rogers shares that Tehama County has laid out the test prosecutors must go through to prove a defendant needs to be sent to adult court. Measuring the level of criminal sophistication, whether they can be rehabilitated before the juvenile justice system expires, history in the juvenile justice system, previous attempts at rehabilitation, and the circumstances and seriousness of the crime.

He says the time spent will be worth it for public safety because the juvenile court limits sentences until the convicted person is 25 years old.

“Especially in cases like this, it just doesn’t seem to be enough to protect the public,” he says. “And to provide justice for the victim and safety for the community.”

He confirmed that law enforcement believes the killing is gang-related. However, with them all in custody, Rogers hopes it will make the public feel safer.

“These three are in custody where they belong,” Rogers said. “I hope it gives the public some peace of mind and some level of security knowing they are locked up.”

Piper is scheduled to be arraigned next Monday, September 30th, while Reep and Bush are scheduled to appear next Tuesday, October 1st.