SAN ANTONIO – Joshua Joyner, 16, is accused of shooting Albert Nelson, 19, to death last summer during what a Bexar County sheriff’s detective called a set-up for a robbery.
Joyner was charged with capital murder and on Tuesday was certified to stand trial as an adult.
His case was transferred to the adult system by 386th District Court Judge Laura Parker during a hearing in juvenile court.
Nelson was shot and killed in what detectives say was a drug deal that went bad.
“Joshua Joyner had constructed this event to happen,” Detective Ruben Arevalos testified. “He had lured the victim to the school in order to rob him and in the commission of robbing him, he ended up shooting and killing him.”
Arevalos said that witnesses said that both Joyner and Nelson had guns as the two, along with several of Joyner’s friends, met in the parking lot of Elolf Elementary School on July 24, 2015.
“Josh said that he saw the individual reach underneath the car, pulled out a black revolver and fired it,” Arevalo said.
He said that witnesses said Joyner also fired his gun but they did not see who fired first.
Joyner was shot in the arm. Nelson was shot in the chest and drive to his home nearby, where he died.
“I’m going to find that there is probable cause to believe that Joshua Joyner did commit the offense of capital murder,” Parker said as she made her ruling. “I’m going to grant the state’s petition to transfer the case to the adult criminal court.”
Parker set Joyner’s bond at $250,000.
She said that though the case is now in the adult system, she would allow Joyner to remain in the Juvenile Detention facility due to his good behavior there since his arrest.