Girl pleads guilty in fatal shooting

A 16-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of Maria Menchaca, 7, who was playing outside her Glendale home last summer.

Mae Goodman Johnson entered into a plea bargain Thursday in which she pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, which carries a possible penalty of one to 15 years in prison.

That spared her from having to go to trial on one count of first-degree felony murder (possibly sentence if convicted is 15-to-life) and obstruction of justice (possible sentence of five-years-to-life).

She will be sentenced on Jan. 16.

"I think it was a recognition of her responsibility," Clayton Simms, Johnson's attorney, said later. "She was not the shooter, but she did provide the gun. I think it was a fair resolution and certainly the best Miss Johnson could hope for."

Two co-defendants face aggravated murder and obstruction of justice charges in this case (both first-degree felonies). They are: Frank Puga Benavidez, now 21, and Gabriel Alejandro Alvarez, now 17.

The two juveniles were waived into adult court.

Simms said that his client was in a car with Benavidez and Alvarez earlier in the day when a "verbal confrontation" occurred with a male relative of the slain child.

"Part of the argument was in Spanish and Mae didn't understand that part. I don't know what the origin of the problems were," Simms said. "Mae doesn't understand Spanish."

However, Simms said Johnson should have realized "there would be trouble" when she supplied the two males with a handgun and they all returned later in the day to the neighborhood where the Menchaca family lived.

Simms attributed at least some of Johnson's poor decision-making to her youth and immaturity, and notes that 7-year-old Maria was never the intended target.

"Mae feels terrible for Maria's family. She has young siblings herself and wishes she could take back what she has done, but she cannot," Simms said.

This aspect of Johnson's case will be resolved at sentencing, but Simms also is pursuing legal action to try to get schooling for Johnson. Simms argues that the teen will eventually re-enter society, so she should be confined for a time in a facility that will offer a high school equivalency education. If Johnson serves the full sentence for manslaughter, she will be 31 when released.

---

E-mail: lindat@desnews.com