2 Teenagers Charged as Adults in Man’s Slaying

Two teenage boys accused of killing a 38-year-old homeless man near Humboldt Bay were charged as adults with murder Thursday, prosecutors said.

Keyontae Lamar Taylor, 15, and Joaquin Fitzgerald, 16, appeared before Humboldt County Superior Court Judge John T. Feeney on Thursday, but their arraignment was postponed until Tuesday.

Authorities said Taylor and Fitzgerald encountered Tracy Daniel Reynolds along the railroad tracks, and the three drank some beer together before the teens left. They allegedly returned a short time later to rob Reynolds, first shooting him once in the leg, then once in the heart.

Taylor and Fitzgerald both face charges of murder, robbery, torture and animal cruelty, which was added because the two allegedly shot cows nearby as well, according to Assistant Dist. Atty. Wes Keat.