One of the three Colorado teens indicted about deadly circumstances involving a series of rock-throwing circumstances last year has entered a liable plea as part of an arranged agreement, authorities declared on Friday.
Rock-Throwing Incident Led to Death 20-Year-Old Driver
During the night of April 19, 2023, seven vehicles were struck by large rocks typically used in landscaping, leading to wounds to three people and the fatal demise of a 20-year-old driver named Alexa Bartell, prosecutors stated.
Three people, all seniors aged 18 at the time, faced a total of 13 charges, including first-degree murder with a reckless disregard for life, about the events.
One of them, now determined as 19-year-old Zachary Kwak, has now admitted liable to three revised charges tied to the rock-throwing circumstances, as verified by the Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office, which is handling the legal proceedings.
Kwak's acknowledgment of guilt includes charges of first- and second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault. In exchange for his plea, his initial charges were dropped.
The District Attorney's Office stated, "In accepting the plea, Kwak acknowledged that, concerning Bartell's death, he acted knowingly and with extreme indifference to human life, thereby putting lives at grave risk through his actions."
Kwak's legal representatives declined to comment on the plea agreement. As a consequence of his plea and cooperation with authorities, Kwak faces a prison term of 20 to 32 years.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, pending the conclusion of legal proceedings involving the other two defendants, Joseph Koenig and Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik.
First-degree murder with reckless disregard carries a mandatory life sentence if convicted. Each of the three accused individuals is undergoing separate trials, with Karol-Chik's trial set to commence on June 7 and Koenig's on July 19.
Both Koenig and Karol-Chik have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Allegedly, Karol-Chik confessed to authorities while in custody that all three individuals participated in throwing rocks at passing cars, expressing excitement when they hit their targets, as per court documents.
Colorado Teens Arrested for Homicide and Assaults on 5 Vehicles
In Kwak's interrogation, he reportedly admitted to taking a photograph of Bartell's vehicle, believing it would serve as a keepsake for Joseph or Mitch, according to court records.
Following Bartell's tragic demise, Kwak allegedly recounted conversations where Koenig and Karol-Chik discussed becoming "blood brothers" and agreed to maintain silence about the incident, according to court documents.
The fatal incident occurred on April 19 when a large landscaping rock thrown by the trio struck and killed Arvada resident Alexa Bartell, who was returning from work.
The trio allegedly returned to the scene later that night to take disturbing pictures of Bartell's damaged vehicle. They were subsequently arrested and faced charges including murder for Bartell's death and other offenses related to attacks on five other vehicles.
Karol-Chik reportedly told police that he and Kwak had been throwing rocks and statues at drivers since February. He also claimed that Kwak threw the rock that struck Bartell's windshield, while Koenig was driving. Kwak, however, maintained that it was Koenig who threw the fatal stone.
Following the incident, Mark Edwin Koenig, Joseph Koenig's father, was arrested for allegedly obstructing police from interviewing his son.
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