19 Raleigh homicides, 9 of the suspects are under age 18

The arrest of three teenagers on Monday in Raleigh shows a growing trend of young people accused of serious crimes throughout the Triangle.

Two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old face the possibility of a life spent in prison for the murder of Alejandro Troncozo, who was 19.

Through Aug. 19 in Raleigh, police have investigated 19 homicides. In those cases, nine people ages 17 or younger have been charged with murder. The youngest is 14. Here is how it breaks down by age:

• 14 years old: Three people
• 15 years old: One person
• 16 years old: Four people
• 17 years old: One person

"There's a lot of young people that have rage and instead of going to therapy or talking it out or thinking before they act, they just decide to buy a gun," said a woman named Athena, whose boyfriend Cristian Rodgriguez was fatally shot in February.

Here’s a look at the number of juvenile complaints from 2022 to 2023 by county:

• Cumberland County: 1,463 complaints of a juvenile population of 48,469 in 2023 compared to 1,524 complaints in 2022.
• Durham County: 1,500 complaints of a juvenile population of 42,211 in 2023 compared to 593 complaints in 2022.
• Wake County: 3,609 complaints of a juvenile population of 145,811 in 2023 compared to 2,256 complaints in 2022.

Statewide, data from the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shows juvenile complaints are climbing. There were 39,334 juvenile complaints in 2023 and 35,885 in 2022.

Raleigh leaders address rise in homicides compared to 2023

Teens involved in shootings in Raleigh

Last week, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson spoke about the increase in teens charged with murder.

“We see a lot of juvenile-related offenses,” Patterson said. “[We are] trying to intervene early with these young people not just through RPD, but with our partners to be able to get them on the right path so they don't continue a life of crime.”

In February, Raleigh police arrested and charged a 14-year-old with murder in the shooting of Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was 21.

Athena said she thinks the accessibility of guns is the root of the problem.

“In North Carolina it's very easy to get a gun legally,” she said. “It's also very easy to buy a gun from someone you know.

“It's a bigger problem than just arrests being made. It's an epidemic, I feel like, with the guns.”

14-year-old arrested, charged with murder in downtown Raleigh shooting

Durham leaders to hear about crime data from first half of 2024

Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews is set to present crime statistics to the city council on Thursday.

Data from the city of Durham shows 289 juvenile offenses, of which 92 were larceny, in the first half of 2024.

From January through June in Durham, the data shows there weren't any juveniles charged with murder.