In a shocking incident that unfolded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a 15-year-old boy was heard on video instructing a 13-year-old driver of a stolen vehicle to hit a cyclist. The incident occurred in May, as the two boys, along with an 11-year-old passenger, drove down a city street in the early morning hours, according to police reports.
The 15-year-old, seated in the back of the vehicle, was recorded saying, “Just bump him, brah,” referring to a man riding his bicycle in the bike lane. The driver, seemingly unsure, asked for clarification, to which the older boy responded, “Yeah, just bump him. Go like 15 … 20 [mph].”
The driver then allegedly accelerated the vehicle towards the cyclist, later identified as 63-year-old Scott Dwight Habermehl, who was commuting to his job at Sandia National Laboratory. As the vehicle neared Habermehl, the 11-year-old passenger brandished a handgun and reportedly began laughing as they struck the cyclist.
The impact of the collision was severe, with police reports describing loud sounds of metal flexing as Habermehl and his bicycle were carried on top of, and then off, the passenger side of the vehicle. Habermehl was killed in the incident, and the boys fled the scene.
The Albuquerque police launched an investigation into the hit-and-run crash, which took place at the intersection of Moon Street and Atkinson Avenue. However, it wasn’t until they received an anonymous tip about a video of the incident posted on Instagram that they were able to identify the culprits. The video was also reported by a middle school principal, who had been alerted to it by a student.
In a twist of fate, the police already had the phones of the 13-year-old and 11-year-old from a separate investigation. With search warrants in hand, detectives examined the phones and social media accounts, discovering the video that allegedly captured the audio of the crash.
The two older boys are now facing charges of open murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of an accident involving great bodily harm or death, and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person. The 11-year-old, due to his age, cannot be charged with murder, but authorities are working with prosecutors to determine what charges he may face.
Habermehl, a physicist at Sandia for nearly 30 years, was a prolific contributor to his field, with over 50 journal publications and six patents to his name. His work on radiation-hardened integrated circuits and memories is still used in national security and space applications. He was known for his daily 25-mile bicycle commute to work, a journey his son described as “more pleasant than driving home in traffic.”
As of Tuesday morning, the 13-year-old boy was in police custody, while the other two suspects remain at large. It remains unclear whether the older boys will be charged as adults.