Noah Ney (Mug shot from Tulsa County Sheriff; screenshot of Ney being taken into custody after an escape from a juvenile facility from Tulsa CBS affiliate KOTV-DT/YouTube)
A troubled 16-year-old Oklahoma boy whose long rap sheet belies his baby-faced mug shot has been sentenced to 50 years for a gang initiation drive-by shooting that seriously wounded a 5-year-old girl playing in her home.
Noah Ney, aka “Baby Groove” and “Baby Blood,” fired a gun from a stolen SUV and nearly killed the little girl as part of his initiation into the “4-tre (43) Hoover Crips” gang. The girl was hit in the neck and left shoulder, but if the bullet had hit a few inches in another direction, it would have been a murder. Ney was charged as an adult.
At his sentencing, prosecutors summarized Ney’s numerous run-ins with law enforcement and his bad behavior in a juvenile justice center, including an escape from a rec yard, Tulsa CBS affiliate KOTV-DT reported.
Ney’s attorney said his conduct stemmed from an unstable upbringing. The boy’s mother and father have criminal histories, court documents said. His middle school assistant principal testified to his fighting, defiance, and disruptive behavior at school, which led to suspensions.
“He had several opportunities. I have treatment records in a packet that is thicker than a dictionary that show treatment attempts that he rejected, by escaping or assaulting staff that was there to help him get treatment,” said Assistant Tulsa County District Attorney Morgan Medders.
His public defender Ivan Orndorff told Law&Crime in an email the case has been long and taxing for everyone.
“Though our system is not perfect, what makes our system unique is the right to due process, presumption of innocence, and zealous representation,” he wrote. “Protecting the rights of the accused and defending them is most important when they are unpopular, or the crimes alleged are most serious. This serves to protect us all.”
In his closing argument, Orndorff asked the court to review his sentence in five years and consider reducing it if he demonstrates rehabilitation, and the judge agreed.
“We had hoped for the top end of the sentence to be lower, though we do appreciate that there is an opportunity for this to be reduced in five years,” Orndorff said.
Court documents outline Ney’s criminal history, including malicious injury, destruction of property, joyriding and obstructing an officer, robbery with a firearm, probation violation, disturbing the police, and assault and battery on an employee of a facility for delinquent children. When evaluated for being charged as an adult, he appeared to know the difference between right and wrong. He was described as having a sophisticated knowledge of gang operations and involvement.
Authorities noted that a report by a juvenile justice worker failed to mention gangs and his involvement in them even though the boy had been certified by the Tulsa Police Department as a member of the 4-tre (43) Hoover Crips gang.
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