The teenager accused in a string of rapes and the slaying of a Dallas woman has been certified to face trial as an adult but remains locked up in a juvenile facility.
Lenario Jarvis Washington, 16, was certified as an adult this week after a two-day hearing. He faces one charge of capital murder, four counts of aggravated sexual assault, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one felony charge of burglary to a habitation, court records show.
His bail has been set at $8 million, according to court records.
"Even though he has been declared an adult for trial, he is still considered a minor in the jail system," said Raul Reyna, the spokesman for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.
Reyna said Washington likely won't be moved to the Lew Sterrett Justice Center until he turns 17. The teen turns 17 in January.
Washington is accused of killing Maria Ezquerro in November 2018. Ezquerro, 23, was found dead in her apartment near the Dallas Galleria. He was 15 at the time.
Police have said the teen is accused in at least five rapes — three of which took place in Dallas and two in Bossier City, La.
Court records show Washington's other criminal charges in Dallas stem from incidents on three dates last year: Sept. 12, Sept. 19, and Oct. 30.
Washington would charm his way into women's homes before assaulting them at gunpoint, prosecutors say.
