2nd teen charged as an adult in Chaviz Nguyen’s murder

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Greene County Prosecutor charged a second 17-year-old as an adult in the shooting death of Chaviz Nguyen last November .

According to court documents, Cesar Bolanos is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of armed criminal action.

Bolanos and another juvenile, Timothy Hester, were 17 years old when the shooting occurred, and their cases were initially run through the juvenile system. However, their cases were moved to adult court in April.

An adult, 19-year-old Elysha Bedell , is also charged with the murder of Chaviz Nguyen and the shooting of his 7-month pregnant girlfriend.

The shooting occurred when Nguyen and his girlfriend were driving through downtown Springfield on their way to dinner with their family. Nguyen noticed a vehicle following them, according to court documents, and tried to lose the pursuing vehicle.

Eventually trapped by the other vehicle, Nguyen and his girlfriend were shot several times while in their car, leading to Nguyen’s death and his girlfriend’s hospitalization.

Investigators later learned that the driver of the vehicle following Nguyen was Timothy Hester and that Elysha Bedell and Cesar Bolanos used and possessed guns that were used to kill Nguyen and injure his girlfriend.

All three suspects are being held without bond awaiting their court dates. Bedell’s next court appearance is set for May 9 at the Greene County Courthouse. Hester and Bolanos’s next court appearances are not listed on their court documents.

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