Scott Dwight Habermehl was an avid cyclist who often rode to work at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. On May 29, 2024, Habermehl took off for work as usual, but he never made it to his office. Instead, four juveniles allegedly ran over Habermehl intentionally to make a video for social media. Their vehicle hit the cyclist just before 5 a.m., killing him. Police arrested three juveniles in connection with the death, and all of them are facing murder charges. But the youngest of the three is now in a treatment facility in Pennsylvania.
None of the suspects was of legal driving age.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, a social media video reportedly taken during the crime linked back to 13-year-old Johnathan Overbay, 15-year-old William Garcia, and an 11-year-old boy, identified as Messiah Hayes by Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. In the video, the suspects can allegedly be heard planning to hit the cyclist after seeing the red light flashing on his bike.
In the video, the back passenger, who police believe was Garcia, reportedly advised the driver not to hit Habermehl too fast. “Just bump him, brah.” The driver asked, “Like bump him?” The back passenger encouraged, “Yeah, just bump him. Go like…15…20.”
The youngest suspect allegedly had a gun.
Police reported that Hayes allegedly waved a gun at Habermehl, sat in the front, and ducked upon impact.
“There were loud sounds, including metal flexing, as the momentum of the crash carried Habermehl and his bicycle on top, and off, the passenger side of the vehicle,” the police news release read.
Police ultimately arrested Overby and Garcia, who each face an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, and unlawful possession of a handgun, per ABQ Raw News.
This was reportedly not the first time one of the suspects had trouble with the law.
According to KAOT, the now 12-year-old Hayes has a lengthy criminal past. Following Habermehl’s death, a judge initially sent the boy to Sequoyah Adolescent Treatment Center in Albuquerque. He was later transferred to the Juvenile Justice Center in May 2025, after he turned 12.
Sam Bregman, district attorney for Bernalillo County, criticized the juvenile justice system for being soft on Hayes in the past.
“I’m not about throwing away the key on juveniles. That’s the last thing I want to do. The only meaningful consequence any of these juveniles face in our current system is when they are convicted of first-degree murder, and some of them, if they’re over the age of 14, will end up doing decades after decades in prison,” Bregman said.
The DA understands how frustrated Habermehl’s family must feel. “We didn’t do the person they killed any favors then, and we certainly didn’t do the kid any favors when he first stole his car instead of giving them some consequence, so they learn you should not violate the laws and norms of our community,” he added.
The youngest suspect is now in treatment in Pennsylvania.
WGAL reported that prosecutors elected to send the now 12-year-old boy from New Mexico to Pennsylvania to a treatment center. Per KOB, a judge determined Hayes to be incompetent and ordered him to treatment in January, but officials reportedly did not take him at the time.
Hayes’ lawyers believe this decision is long overdue. “The most important thing at this point for us was that he continued to receive treatment and be treated like a child who at some point is going to be out in the community,” they said, per WGAL, “Months and months in detention rather than in a juvenile treatment facility.”
If juveniles get away with crimes like this, what will stop them from doing the same thing as adults? Something has to change or we’re in big trouble as a society with children who become adults who’ve never been held responsible for their actions.
