Youth found guilty of manslaughter in robbery spree death

EDMONTON A 16-year-old boy was found not guilty of first-degree murder Friday in the death of a Mac’s store employee close to three years ago, but he will be sentenced next month on the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The youth, who was 13 at the time and whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was part of a trio involved in a crime spree targeting Mac’s stores that left two convenience store workers dead.

A jury convicted one of the adults accused in the killings, Laylin Delorme, of two counts of first-degree murder in June. The other adult suspect, Colten Steinhauer, has yet to go to trial.

Karanpal Singh Bhangu and Ricky Massin Cenabre both died of gunshot wounds following the Dec. 18, 2015, armed robberies at two separate south-side stores — one in Mill Woods at 3208 82 St. and one at 10845 61 Ave.

The teen admitted to manslaughter in the death of Bhangu but pleaded not guilty to firstdegree murder in the death of Cenabre.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts each of committing a robbery with a prohibited or restricted weapon, and two counts of committing an offence while masked.

In handing down her sentence, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Shelley said the Crown failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the teen “shared a common intention to enter that store and commit or participate in the commission of murder” of Cenabre.

Shelley said the actions of the youth were not the “substantial cause” of Cenabre’s death, adding that considering the co-accused were significantly older — Delo- rme was 22 and Steinhauer was 27 at the time of the armed robberies —“common sense and experience suggests” that the youth’ s role in planning the robberies was “unlikely to be equal to that of the two adults.”

Although there is “no doubt” the youth knew he was going to the Mac’s stores to rob them and he actively participated in the robberies, unlike Steinhauer and Delorme the youth was not carrying a weapon, Shelley said.

Shelley said the Crown had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the youth had the “subjective foresight that death was likely to

I think that he’s very sorry for what happened. This will be something that he has to live with for the rest of his life.

have occurred during the second robbery.”

“I question whether a 13-yearold would fully consider or even appreciate his circumstances or have the wherewithal to tell the two adults that he was parting company with them,” she said.

Following the decision a family member said the youth was a “little boy in a big boy’s world.”

“I think that he’s very sorry for what happened,” she said.

“This will be something that he has to live with for the rest of his life.”

Sentencing is set for Dec. 7.