Juvenile Suspect Reportedly Confesses in Case of Teen’s Body Left in Field
A juvenile suspect has reportedly confessed to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accidental fatal shooting of another teenager.
According to a press release by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, the 16-year-old Oroville youth confessed during a juvenile court hearing to the charge of involuntary manslaughter with the personal use of a firearm, following the accidental shooting of his 13-year-old friend. The incident occurred during the early hours of July 18, when four boys — aged 13, 14, and 16, as well as the juvenile facing charges — were allegedly joyriding in a stolen car with a handgun inside.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the group had been playing with the firearm throughout the evening, with one of them loading it with ammunition. The weapon was being handled by the shooter in the back-passenger seat when it discharged, fatally striking the 13-year-old victim, Amadeus Miller-Ramos, who was seated in the front passenger seat.
The suspect claimed he was unaware that the weapon was loaded at the time of the incident. Following the shooting, the victim’s body was left in a field in Thermalito, near the intersection of 18th Street and Tehama Avenue. The teenagers reportedly provided conflicting accounts regarding the disposal of the body.
The investigation also revealed that the semi-automatic pistol, a nine-millimeter, had been stolen from another vehicle in the Oroville area on the preceding night. The firearm was later surrendered to the sheriff’s office through a confidential source after the shooting.
The sentencing of the teenage shooter is scheduled for September 13, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. in the Butte County Juvenile Court.
The individual remains in custody at Butte County Juvenile Hall until the next hearing. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office continues its inquiry.
