11-year-old, two teenagers in custody for role in the murder of Corrales man

Published March 19th, 2025 at 11:12 am, Last Updated March 21st, 2025 at 2:20 pm

By Kevin Hendricks

Police arrested another minor who is accused of intentionally crashing a stolen car into and killing a 63-year-old Corrales man who was riding his bike last summer in Albuquerque.

The Albuquerque Police Department announced on March 18 that an 11-year-old is in custody for his role in the murder of Scott Habermehl, a longtime Corrales resident who was riding his bike to work at Sandia National Laboratory in May.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested the day before and charged with murder in connection with the death of Habermehl, who lived in Corrales and rode his bike to work and back home every day.

According to APD, the 11-year-old will be placed in CYFD custody, where he will be given an evaluation. APD took the 11-year-old into custody in June 2024 for other crimes committed around the same time period as the crash that killed Habermehl.

Police announced the arrest of a 16-year-old on March 19 in connection with the killing. The boy, who was 15 at the time, was in the car when Habermehl was killed. 

Habermehl was riding his bike to work at Sandia National Laboratory around 4:40 a.m. when he was hit by the car, according to APD.

The three boys inside the car videotaped the crash, with audio recordings showing they intended 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 time 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. According to his son, he rode 25 miles to work twice a day, which is about 9,000 to 10,000 miles a year. 

“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 Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office announced on March 18 that a juvenile court judge ruled that the 13-year-old will stay in custody.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office has charged the 13-year-old with First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder, Knowingly Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Great Bodily Harm or Death, and Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun by a Person Under the Age of 19.  

The 11-year-old is currently in CYFD custody and will face murder charges in this case. New Mexico law prevents a child under 12 from being detained in a juvenile facility, but a child of that age can be charged with murder.  

An anonymous tip led police to a social media video of the crash. APD then found several video clips showing all three boys, including the original crash video.

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 two arrests this week and the release of the crash video caught the attention of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who released a statement about the murder.

“I am horrified by the video footage of this brazen, heartless killing involving three juveniles—ages 11, 13 and 15—who targeted an innocent cyclist,” Lujan Grisham said. “This case is an appalling and heartbreaking reminder of the serious juvenile crime crisis we face in New Mexico––and our lack of tools to properly address it. I extend my deepest condolences to the friends, family and coworkers of the victim, Scott Dwight Habermehl.”