Eric Pang and Israel Trevilla, both 16, were indicted Monday, Sept. 11, in Loudoun County Circuit Court on one count of malicious wounding, five counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and one count of arson in connection to the series of drive-by shootings July 19 in Sterling.
The Commonwealth Attorney's Office filed a written notice seven days before a juvenile court hearing Wednesday, Aug. 30, to charge the teenage boys as adults due to the nature of the multiple offenses they are charged with, Commonwealth Attorney James Plowman said. If convicted, they will each receive a maximum of 40 years in prison, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Kraig Troxell said. They are currently staying at the Juvenile Detention Center in Leesburg.
THE TWO TEENS allegedly shot at five homes in the area of Aster Terrace, Holborn Court and North Argonne Avenue and hospitalized one man sleeping in his bedroom on Coventry Square. According to the Sheriff's Office, the teens stole two firearms used in the shootings, in addition to jewelry and bullet casings, from a Cameron Court home on July 15.
The two teens have also been tied to the theft of a 1997 Toyota Corolla. The car was reported stolen from a North Amelia Street home at 10 p.m., July 18. Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered the car on Harry Byrd Highway, after being set on fire.
Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said the boys’ motive was gang related.
One of the two boys was either kicked out of or excluded from joining a local gang, Simpson said in a previous interview.
The teens retaliated by shooting at least three targeted homes, including the home of the injured man.
The sheriff wouldn’t say which gang the teens were associated with, but said they didn’t appear to be tied to a regional gang.
Two teenagers and an 11-year-old pleaded guilty Aug. 30 in juvenile court to several burglaries that were related to the drive-by shootings. The three were not involved in the actual shooting. They are awaiting disposition hearings, later this month to determine sentencing.