Two juveniles in the Collin County community of Wylie went before a judge Monday, a day after being accused of choking and killing 17-year-old Wylie East High School senior Ivan Mejia over the weekend.
Two juveniles in the Collin County community of Wylie went before a judge Monday, a day after being accused of choking and killing 17-year-old Wylie East High School senior Ivan Mejia over the weekend.
The teens, whose names are not being released due to their age, were told they would be held in detention for at least 10 more days while the investigation into Mejia's murder continues.
A juvenile probation officer read aloud an arrest warrant Friday during the hearing. The warrant has been sealed because the suspects are juveniles, but some of the public information shared with the media is below.
In the arrest warrant, police said the pair told them they killed Mejia because he and one of the unnamed suspects were dating the same girl.
It was revealed at the hearing that the juveniles began planning the murder as early as March 3. Officials said the teens suffocated Mejia by putting him in a headlock and that one of them held his nose while the other tied a sock around his mouth.
The investigation into the slaying is ongoing, police said Monday.
Suspicious Vehicle Report Leads to Discovery of Teen's Body
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Wylie police Sgt. Donna Valdepena said Garland officers called her department around 11:24 p.m. Saturday regarding a suspicious vehicle parked near Firewheel Town Center.
When officers arrived, they spotted two males running from the area. Believing the pair would return to the vehicle, the officers returned to the parking lot and waited.
Police said the two males returned a short time later and, when questioned about what they were doing in the area, replied, "We are burying a body."
The officers detained the pair and called for backup. Officers then went into the woods, toward where the teens ran previously, and found the body of 17-year-old Ivan Mejia.
During the investigation that followed, police determined that Mejia's murder was committed directly behind Wylie East High School, where he and the two suspected of his murder attended school.
Both of the suspects are 16-years-old so, due to their age, their names will not be released. Both are in custody at the Collin County Juvenile Detention Facility and have been charged with first-degree murder.
Vigil Held for Slain Wylie Teen
At a vigil on Sunday night, friends of the victim said Mejia wanted to enroll in the military after high school.
Late Sunday, the Wylie ISD released this statement:
WEHS staff and parents are being notified and we will have counselors available next week at the campus.
The entire Wylie ISD community is shocked and saddened by this senseless act. We are cooperating with the police as they investigate, and we hope they will be able to provide us with some understanding of how this tragedy unfolded. This incident was not connected to any school or district-sponsored activity. We are notifying Wylie East parents, and we will have counselors available at the school next week. Because this is an ongoing investigation we cannot comment any further at this time.
NBC 5's Catherine Ross contributed to this report.
