Four of the Nevada ‘bullies’ arrested in connection with the horrific mass attack that killed 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis Jr. were killed, could barely conceal their fear as they appeared in court charged with murder.
Dontral Beaver, 16, Damien Hernandez, 17, Gianni Robinson, 17, and Treavion Randolph, 16, are among eight classmates accused of beating Lewis to death on Nov. 1 outside Rancho High School in Las Vegas.
Handcuffed, handcuffed and tried as adults, the four teens muttered their answers as they stood before Judge Nadia Wood at the start of a trial in which they could face life in prison.
Lewis died in hospital from brain injuries six days after he was jumped by 15 assailants after allegedly standing up for a smaller classmate whose headphones were stolen and dumped in a rubbish bin.
Robinson appeared to shake and looked nervously at the camera when he realized he was being filmed, while Hernandez nodded respectfully when asked if he understood the charges against him.
Four of the nine youths charged with beating Lewis Jr. to death appeared in court on Tuesday together with their lawyers and parents
Jonathan Lewis, 17, died in hospital days after he was attacked by a group of up to 15 other teenagers
Lewis became lost among the group of youths who carried out a vicious attack on the teenager
“Yes ma’am, yes your honor,” Randolph muttered when asked the same question.
The video of the brutal beating, which was posted to TikTok and went viral, shows a large group of boys attacking Lewis, who is curled up on the ground as he tries to protect himself.
Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said all involved were students at Rancho High School and described the images as “devoid of humanity.”
He said a citizen found Lewis unconscious after the assault, which took place in an alley near the school.
Lewis was then taken to UMC, where doctors determined he had suffered “non-survivable head trauma.”
Johansson said the fight was over stolen wireless headphones and possibly a vape pen, which were taken from the victim’s friends. According to police, all parties involved agreed to meet in the alley to fight.
“As soon as a blow is given, ten subjects immediately swarm towards him,” he said.
Randolph was arrested on November 16 and booked into the Clark County Jail and transferred to the adult justice system along with Dontral Beaver, 16, Gianni Robinson, 17, and Damien Hernandez, 18.
Treavion Randolph, 16, and Gianni Robinson, 17, are two of the teens charged
Damien Hernandez, 17, was also accompanied by a lawyer
The attack occurred near Rancho High School on the afternoon of November 1. The police found Jonathan bleeding from his head
Total chaos ensues as Lewis is beaten until he is unconscious
No arrests have been made, but Lewis claims an investigator has assured the family that authorities plan to charge several students involved in that fight with murder.
After Jonathan is knocked to the ground, one of his friends tries to intervene and stop the brutal attack before he flees
In court, prosecutors said they charged the teens with first-degree murder instead of premeditated murder because they could not prove premeditation, but that they are continuing to review the evidence.
Five more students aged between 13 and 17 have been arrested over the murder.
Aside from Hernandez, who was cited in 2021 for smoking marijuana in public, none of the older four have a criminal record.
Randolph is one of three siblings and has a brother named Lovell Randolph III, and a sister named Abigail.
His mother Oliva Lopez-Aranda filed for divorce from his father Lovell Randolph Jr, 36, in May, citing irreconcilable differences.
Randolph Jr is currently in prison and has a lengthy criminal history. Records from DailyMail.com show he was serving a five-year prison sentence at the Three Lakes Valley Conservation Camp in Elko, Nevada, and was expelled in May for use of a deadly weapon – a week before his wife filed for divorce.
Previous felonies include a 2020 conviction for battery, 2018 convictions for conspiracy to commit a violent crime and robbery, and two 2015 convictions for pandering and assault with a deadly weapon.
Despite Randolph Jr.’s lengthy criminal record, his son Treavion was described by his family as a good boy and a dedicated student.
Photos of the 16-year-old, obtained by DailyMail.com, show a sweet-faced teen looking excited on his elementary school graduation day in 2014, striking a shirtless pose in a selfie and showing off a pair of new earbuds.
Like his co-defendants, Randolph attended Rancho High School — just yards from the deserted alley where Lewis, also a student at the school, died.
However, Treavion’s family tells DailyMail.com that he is nowhere to be seen in the footage.
His step-grandmother Andrea Corsey, 55, said his family has been left devastated by Lewis’s death and the 16-year-old’s arrest.
Andrea, who is married to Treavion’s grandfather Lovell Randolph Sr, 54, said: ‘Everyone is devastated at what they say he did.
‘I can not understand. He’s never had any problems. He comes here for birthdays and holidays. It’s a very sad situation.’
Treavion’s uncle, who asked not to be named, added: “I saw that video. I’ve watched it all. You can’t see Treavion there.
“They say they identified him on that video, but we’re not sure. We weren’t told much. We don’t know much about the whole thing.’
Andrea added: ‘We all looked for him (in the video) because, as you can see, he has a huge amount of hair.
“So when you don’t see that, you’re like, how did they identify him specifically? It’s very difficult to say.’
Lewis’ father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., who lives in Austin, Texas, said his son was the target of the fight after he rushed to help another student who was being bullied by the bullies.
He said Jonathan was initially attacked by some students, who the 17-year-old shook off “because he was so strong.”
“But then all the other kids joined in and then beat him to death,” he added to NewsNation.
Treavion Randolph (left), 16, Damien Hernandez, 17, Gianni Robinson, 17, and Dontral Beaver (right), 16, made their first court appearance as adults Friday morning
Damien Hernandez, 17 (left), and Treavion Randolph, 16 (right), have both been charged as adults with murder
Dontral Beaver, 16 (left), and Gianni Robinson, 17, were arrested along with six others accused of attacking Lewis
The boy’s father, also named Jonathan Lewis, said his son confronted the group after they stole something from his friend
The family have set up an anti-bullying foundation called ‘Team Jonathan’ in his memory and it appears to be planning to work with other anti-bullying campaigns, including Choose Love and Dads in Schools, to tackle the recent wave of bullying across America.
Lewis Sr. has claimed that the gang that attacked his son was previously involved in similar incidents – and locals claim the school district has a widespread bullying problem.
On a GoFundMe page, Jonathan is described as “a kind, loving, gentle young man with the heart of a champion and the brightest loving energy that draws people to him with love.”
“We are so grateful for all the love and support from the community that has poured in for our son and hope that the world will focus on all that love and compassion as a beacon of hope for human relationships and recognize how much stronger the love and the spirit of community is then the dark moments of violence.’