A teenager accused of gunning down a Massachusetts basketball star days before his first game as a college freshman has been in a relationship with a woman who rode in the car where the student was shot.
Carl-Hens Beliard, 18, a member of the Salem State University men’s basketball team, was shot in the back while driving in a car with the woman about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, WCVB reported.
Missael Pena Canela, also 18, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Salem County Court, where prosecutors revealed that he had been in an “on-and-off-again” relationship with the young woman.
Along with murder, Canela was charged with destruction of property for allegedly breaking the woman’s cell phone, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported.
During the trial, Pena Canela admitted to firing the shot that killed Beliard, according to WCVB, which cited prosecutors.
“At this time, my client is innocent. I think there is a lot of information that we need to know,” said his defense attorney, Debra Dewitt.
Carl-Hens Beliard, 18, who was fatally shot days before his first game as a freshman, was in a car with the suspect’s “on-and-off-again” girlfriend at the time of the attack, officials said. WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
He questioned the prosecution’s claim that his client confessed to the police.
“It’s news to me that he allegedly stated he committed the murder,” Dewitt said, CBS News reported.
Beliard, who graduated from North High School in Worcester, helped his varsity team win the Division 1 State championship. In May, the team was honored by Worcester Mayor Joseph Pettey for the win.
Missael Pena Canela, 18, seen at left, has been charged with murder.NBC Boston
He is just days away from participating in his first game as a freshman at Salem State.
Assistant coach David Babb was in court Thursday, desperate to find out what sparked the shooting, which happened hours after thousands gathered in Salem to celebrate Halloween.
“I’m really still blank about the whole thing. We got correspondence from one of our players that something had happened, and that’s how we found out,” Babb told WCVB. “I can’t believe it, actually. Still can’t believe being with us now for five, six weeks — a happy child, loved by all of us, always smiling, you know? So it surprised us.”
Team members gathered around the memorial erected in Beliard’s honor and held a moment of silence before leaving the autographed basketball.
The hoops star plans to study exercise science in college. High North Polar Bear / Facebook
“He is the happiest child. He has things going for him. He was playing basketball and all that. I don’t know why someone would wake up one morning and decide to take my son’s life,” Jaidan Baptiste, one of Beliard’s friends, told the outlet.
Another friend, Justin Bell, called the slain teenager “a great person.”
“She’s, really, like always smiling all the time – always smiling. I really don’t know who would have a problem with her, really. It’s ridiculous,” she said.
Salem State President John Keenan said in a statement that “this is a very difficult day for our entire campus community and for those who knew Carl best.
Beliard met Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll during a visit to the Massachusetts Statehouse after a high school tournament.AP
Beliard’s mother, Altagrace Beliard, said last week that basketball has been his passion since he was just 2 years old and that he dreamed of becoming a star.
“He never gave up. No matter how hard it was, she still pushed herself,” the grieving mother told WHDH. “He was a good kid.”
After the high school tournament, Beliard said at a rally that it felt “like a dream come true.”
“Since I started playing basketball, I always wanted to win championships. It’s an incredible feeling,” he told Telegram. “We have a lot of chemistry in the team and that’s what we’ve achieved so far, that’s why we’re here now.
Friends set up memorial for slain athlete.CBS Boston
“We hang out outside of basketball. We all play basketball. It’s really like a brotherhood,” he added.
The 6-foot-5 forward said he plans to study exercise science in college and eventually pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.
Worcester Mayor Joe Petty said he was “heartbroken to hear about the tragic loss.”
“Carl was a hardworking, kind individual whose life was taken too soon,” he wrote on Facebook. “It is every parent’s worst nightmare to lose a child. As a father of three, I can’t imagine the pain Carl’s family is going through.”
Pena Canela is being held without bail pending his next court appearance on Dec. 1.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
