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Slain teens were in ‘full flight mode,’ prosecutor says

Axel Barreto, the Juniata stepfather who opened fire in January on seven teenage boys who had packed into a Toyota Corolla and driven to his home looking to fight one of his three stepsons, was held for trial Wednesday on three counts of murder.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version.

Axel Barreto, the Juniata stepfather who opened fire in January on seven teenage boys who had packed into a Toyota Corolla and driven to his home looking to fight one of his three stepsons, was held for trial Wednesday on three counts of murder.

Municipal Judge James DeLeon made the ruling after a preliminary hearing marked by a larger than usual security contingent, including the presence of Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams.

Dozens of relatives and high-school classmates also attended, many wearing T-shirts memorializing the slain youth.

Joshua Soto, 14, Javier Orlandi, 16, and Dante Lugo, 14, were killed in a barrage of bullets at 10:30 p.m. Jan. 10 behind the gunman's home on Luzerne Street near Castor Avenue. A fourth teen, the driver, survived a gunshot to the neck; three others were unharmed.

The seven teens had been feuding with Barreto's teenage stepson Benjamin "Benny" Torres for months in person and on Facebook. Two of Barreto's stepsons and one of the teens who survived the shooting attend Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, where the day after the shooting Mayor Nutter and other officials visited to speak out against retaliatory violence.

The group of teens drove to Barreto's house that night so one of them could fight Benjamin, but instead encountered Barreto.

After being arrested, Barreto told police in a statement that he was smoking a cigarette on the front porch when he first saw the Toyota slow down in front of the house, according to homicide Det. Jeffrey Burke, who read Barreto's statement in court.

After the car drove in front of the house a second time, Barreto said, it slowed, one of the occupants said something and Barreto went inside the house.

When he learned from Benny what their intentions where, Barreto said, he got a gun, went out back and began shooting at the car, which by then was parked behind the house.

Defense attorney Jack McMahon said his client acted to protect his family against a violent gang of youth who called themselves the Kick Ass Boys.

"He's in his own home just trying to watch television and these kids bring it to him," McMahon said after the hearing. "It comes a point and time where you gotta take action."

Assistant District Attorney Jude Conroy said none of the victims was armed and they each were shot from behind while the car was driving away.

"These kids were in full flight mode when this man began to fire," he said. "They went there for a one-on-one fistfight. Nobody had a weapon."

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story contained an incorrect reference to when Mayor Nutter visited the Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School. Nutter visited the day after the shooting.

Contact Mensah M. Dean at 215-568-8278 or deanm@phillynews.com