By Kevin Hendricks
A 13-year-old boy was arrested Monday and charged with murder in connection with the death of a Corrales man who was intentionally struck by a stolen car while riding his bicycle to work last year. Two other minors, ages 11 and 15, are also accused of involvement in the crash that killed 63-year-old Scott Dwight Habermehl, a longtime Corrales resident on May 29.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Habermehl was riding his bike to work at Sandia National Laboratory around 4:40 a.m. when he was hit.
The boys inside the car videotaped the crash and audio recordings show they planned to hit the cyclist. Habermehl was struck from behind in the bike lane and the vehicle fled the scene. He later died from his injuries.
According to Habermehl’s obituary, he worked for over 30 years at Sandia National Laboratories, during which he made significant contributions to thin film and semiconductor engineering.
“He was an avid commuter, I don’t know that he would really describe himself as a cyclist but he always commuted by bike to work,” his son Scott Thomas Habermehl told the Comment last year.
Habermehl’s family estimated that he rode about 250,000 miles during his three decades at the labs. He rode 25 miles to work twice a day, which is about 9,000 to 10,000 miles a year, according to his son.
“He never regretted biking to work because it’s such a nice experience,” his son said. “It’s honestly just way more pleasant than driving home in traffic on I-25 and then traffic on Alameda.”
The 13-year-old is facing several charges, including an open count of 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.
Homicide detectives also charged the 15-year-old with the same crimes.
The third boy, who is 11, is too young to be charged with murder. APD detectives are working with the DA’s Office and CYFD to determine what charges he may face and whether he can be held on those charges.
An anonymous tip led investigators to a social media video of the crash. Further investigation revealed conversations between the boys indicating their intent to hit Habermehl.
APD identified several video clips showing all three boys, including the original video of the crash.
That video, which includes audio, captured a conversation between the boys as the driver, believed to be the 13-year-old, said he was going to hit the bicyclist and accelerated the vehicle. The back passenger, believed to be the 15-year-old, said not to hit the bicyclist going too fast. “Just bump him, brah.” The driver responded, “Like bump him?” The back passenger repeated, “Yeah, just bump him. Go like…15…20.”
As the vehicle approached the intersection of Moon St. and Atkinson Ave., the front passenger, believed to be the 11-year-old who was waving a handgun, ducked and laughed as the front passenger side of the vehicle struck Habermehl.
The 13-year-old will be booked into the Juvenile Detention Center. Detectives are searching for the other two boys.
It’s unclear if the 15-year-old will be charged as an adult. According to the Interstate Commission for Juveniles, kids as young as 14 can have their case transferred from juvenile to adult court in New Mexico.