NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A New Orleans family is breathing a sigh of relief on Thursday, Nov. 9, after 18-year-old Lynell Reynolds was sentenced to juvenile life for paralyzing a man during a robbery in 2019.
It has been four years since Reynolds robbed and shot Dorothy White’s grandson, Darelle Scott, leaving him paralyzed, and she’s been fighting ever since.
“He will get the remainder of juvenile life,” says White.
In court, she says this was an emotional moment for her family.
“As I told the judge four years ago, if you leave him here until 21, he gets juvenile life. We know one thing for certain, he will live to see 21. Darelle won’t walk again. His life is forever changed,” says White.
Reynolds was weeks away from an early release, but after escaping from a juvenile halfway house, prosecutors filed for a revocation. Juvenile Court Judge Candance Bates Anderson agreed, emphasizing that Reynolds had been given multiple chances.
“At the beginning, I was rooting for you, but you didn’t do what you had to do,” says Scott.
Scott was surprised Reynolds didn’t show any remorse, turning his back to him the entire time. Only inches apart, Anderson told Reynolds to look Scott’s way as he gave his final words.
Scott still doesn’t understand Reynolds’ actions.
“You were about to get out. What was the point of you doing what you did? What was the point of escaping? You say you wanted to see your family. You could have still been seeing your family if you hadn’t shot me,” says Scott.
At the trial, Scott admits it’s been hard since that horrible day in 2019, but he continues to push through with the help of his family.
However, he believes Reynolds can change.
“I can’t say for sure he could, he could not. It’s all up to him and what he chooses to do with the time he has. I guess it’s more of we’ll see when he gets out,” says Scott.
Reynolds will spend the remainder of his juvenile life sentence at the new Juvenile Justice Facility in Jackson Parish.
The State Office of Juvenile Justice official says Reynolds won’t be charged with escape because the Lake Charles halfway house is not a secure facility.
It’s unclear how this will affect his former teacher, Angela Filardo, who was booked with accessory to simple escape. It was not clear Thursday what will happen to Filardo’s case now that Reynolds is no longer being classified as an escapee.
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