Judge denies request to release teen gang murder suspect

The lawyer for Ashley Paige Benton, the 16-year-old girl charged with stabbing a 15-year-old boy in a gang fight in early June changed his tune and asked for Benton to be released from custody Friday, but a judge ruled that Benton will remain in jail because of the seriousness of the charge against her. Rick DeToto, the attorney, asked the court to keep Benton in custody last month because he said she would have been in danger if she was released; it's not clear what caused him to ask for her release this week.

According to the Chronicle, Benton is finally figuring out that a murder charge isn't something to take lightly: Benton reportedly "wept throughout her third juvenile detention hearing ... and let out a tiny yelp when she realized she must remain in custody." DeToto confirmed that Benton is realizing she's in trouble, but reiterated that "she's a sweet, nice little girl" — except, of course, when she knifed Gabriel Granillo to death June 6. DeToto claims it was self-defense because Granillo "swung a bat at her" two times. Granillo's brother Steven told police that Benton and about two dozen other teens attacked him, Gabriel and a friend of theirs with bats, golf clubs and tire irons without provocation. DeToto said Benton is friends with people associated with Crazy Crew, a southwest Houston gang; the Granillo family has said it suspects Gabriel and Steven have ties to MS-13, a violent gang active through Latin America and the U.S.