On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy accused of murdering his 4-year-old neighbor heads to court. Raul Castro will be arraigned on the charges and will be tried as an adult.
Just one day earlier, hundreds gathered to pay their final respects for little Alex Mercado who was laid to rest on Monday.
CBS47 Legal Analyst Carl Faller said, “It’s certainly is one of the most troubling and certainly the most tragic for everybody involved."
Faller also says the case will most likely not be over quickly. “As a rule of thumb, cases like this are seldom accomplished in less than a year,” said Faller.
Castro allegedly admitted that he sexually molested Mercado and then drowned the little boy before hiding his body in a clothes dryer.
Castro faces life in prison but California law does not allow the death penalty in cases involving a juvenile.
