Teens take plea deals in attempted homicide

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Two juveniles who were charged with attempted homicide in the beating of a Monongahela man with an aluminum baseball bat in December accepted plea deals this week. 

Christopher Urista, 17, and Jamie Watkins, 15, were charged as adults in the robbery and beating of Stephen Whatley on Dec. 7. 

Watkins, who was 14 at the time, and Urista, who was 16, pleaded guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and were sentenced to four to eight years in prison on each charge, to run concurrently. 

When they are released, they will each serve another five years of probation on the aggravated assault charge.

In exchange, Deputy Assistant District Attorney Jason Walsh said the charges of attempted homicide were dismissed.

They’ve both been held in Washington County Correctional Facility since their charges were moved to adult court in January.

Urista was on the run for nearly a month after the incident before officers arrested him.

Police were called to the scene after receiving a report that 19-year-old Whatley was assaulted with a baseball bat in his home by two males.

According to Monongahela Officer Zlatan Avdic, Whatley told police he and his girlfriend were in the bedroom sleeping when Urista and Watkins entered the room wearing black masks with blue Xs across the eyes — similar to those in the movie “The Purge.”

Whatley said the masked men were holding a pink-and-white aluminum baseball bat and demanded the couple give them money, marijuana and access to a safe.

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