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An Atlantic City teen accused of being part of an underage crime spree was ordered held in a juvenile detention center last week.
Freeman Watson, who turned 17 on Wednesday, had a detention hearing after he was waived up to be tried as an adult.
"He has had one of the worst juvenile histories that I have seen in sitting on the adult criminal bench for 15 years," Judge Patricia Wild said last Friday in holding Watson.
In a month-long span that began in December 2022, Watson and others "engaged in highly dangerous activities on the streets of Atlantic City," Wild said. "Basically peppering people with shots."
Among the victims was an 18-year-old shot in the head in a daylight shooting Jan. 21, 2023, at New York and Sewell avenues, according to the charges.
Nine days later, Watson was arrested in the 1800 block of Hummock Avenue, during a drug surveillance operation.
Watson, then 15, and two 16-year-olds were arrested, and detectives recovered two Glock 40-caliber handguns and a Taurus 9mm, police said at the time.
Watson was additionally charged with multiple drug offenses, after police recovered 20 grams of cocaine and a digital scale, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by BreakingAC.
In total, six people were shot, including two in the head, according to information provided at the hearing.
"The people and the streets of Atlantic City need to be protected," the judge said. "I have no doubt, were I to release him — based upon his prior behavior — he would go right back and do the same thing. He will continue to behave in an antisocial and criminal manner."
Defense attorney Stephen Funk argued for release, saying Watson could attend an alternative school and be watched.
He also added that "there very likely are psychological issues, developmental issues both emotional and cognitive that are probably at play here."
"As far as I can tell, there was no defense expert provided at the waiver hearing," Funk added.
But the judge pointed to his significant record, which includes 15 juvenile adjudications and 21 separate arrests.
"He received every possible opportunity to conform with the requirements of society and received everything up to and including what is known as juvenile ISP (intensive supervised parole), and every time he has continued to offend as a juvenile," Wild said.
Freeman is currently being held in the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center in Newark.
His attorney asked the judge about moving him closer, but she said she would not have that power.
After he turns 18, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office could move for him to be housed in the adult jail, but the transfer is not automatic. Often juvenile offenders waived up remain in detention centers as their cases go through the adult court.
