Juveniles charged in shooting

Green Forest police chief John Bailey confirmed last week that three juveniles have been arrested in connection with a recent shooting, and court documents indicate two of the three are being charged as adults.

John Bailey

Bailey said Thursday, June 30, that the incident occurred early in the morning of Sunday, June 26, on Pine Street and apparently started as a dispute over a vape pen.

“They supposedly gave this person some money,” Bailey said of the three juveniles, whom he did not identify. “Then they didn’t follow through with buying them a vape pen. And so they were going to get their money back.”

Bailey said the juveniles went to the house where the victim was staying “to confront another person living there.”

The victim initially ran the juveniles off, Bailey said, but they returned with a handgun that they later said they had stolen from a vehicle they had broken into. According to Bailey, the juveniles shut off the power to the house and when the victim looked through a window to investigate, one of the juveniles shot through the window. The bullet from a .22-caliber handgun struck the victim in the face and there was some initial concern that he might lose an eye, Bailey said.

Bailey said Green Forest police have not received any reports of stolen guns and urged anyone who is missing a gun to contact the police department.

Two of the juveniles were arrested the night of the incident, Bailey said, and the third was taken into custody three days later, on Wednesday, June 29.

Court records indicate that two of the juveniles have been charged as adults. Eduardo Mendoza, 15, and Eh Hser, 14, both of Green Forest, have each been charged with committing a terroristic act and first-degree battery.

Both Mendoza and Hser appeared before Carroll County Circuit Judge Scott Jackson on Tuesday, June 28. Jackson found probable cause to charge both and ordered that they remain in a juvenile detention center pending their next court appearances, both scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, July 7, in Carroll County Circuit Court in Berryville.