A teen accused of fatally stabbing another student at Maryvale High School last week has been charged, authorities said Thursday.
A Maricopa County grand jury indicted 16-year-old Chris Aguilar on one count of first-degree murder on Tuesday, according to court records.
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Aguilar is suspected of beating 16-year-old Michael Montoya II with his fists and then with a pocketknife, which police later found outside. Montoya was rushed to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
According to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Aguilar will most likely be prosecuted as an adult under state laws governing serious offenses involving defendants ages 15 to 17.
The incident occurred inside one of the high school’s classrooms, near 59th Avenue and Osborn Road, at approximately 10:54 a.m. on August 19, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
After being imprisoned, Aguilar was sent to a separate hospital than Montoya for treatment of a bleeding hand. No other students or staff members sustained injuries in the incident, according to the police.
Suspect Maryvale High School stabbing formally accused of first-degree murder
ABC15 discovered court documents indicating a possible motivation for the tragic Maryvale High School stabbing. The site said that Montoya allegedly took a weapon from Aguilar the day before the attack.
ABC 15 claims to have overheard the suspect and his brother threatening to kill Montoya after the robbery.
Following the stabbing, students at Maryvale High School were moved to virtual learning for the rest of the week, but they returned to campus on Monday.
However, the transfer has not been smooth, especially given worries about how a pocketknife evaded the school’s metal detection equipment.
According to a Wednesday release from the Phoenix Union High School District, a state senator allegedly attempted to test these security systems on Monday by entering the high school’s front office with a boxcutter.
In response to her alleged prank, two Phoenix City Council members and Arizona’s top education official have asked for her resignation from public service.
