A teenager sought by Rapid City police for some 10 weeks as a suspect in a shooting that left a 6-year-old boy wounded was taken into custody Thursday on the Pine Ridge Reservation..
The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety arrested 17-year old Lyle Blue Legs III without incident.
Since Blue Legs is a minor and formal charges have yet to be filed, his case is currently in juvenile court.
Under South Dakota law, minors16 and over are tried as adults if charged with some types of felonies including murder, manslaughter, and attempted murder, but Blue Legs likely faces aggravated assault charges – which would not go directly to adult court.
The case began May 26 when a 6-year-old was found at a residence with a gunshot wound. The injury was non-life-threatening, but the boy was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A short time later, Rapid City Police released a security photo of a man allegedly fleeing the scene and asked the public’s help in finding who he was. Blue Legs was identified later that day, triggering the long search.