A few minutes before 11 on the night of Dec. 15, police officers in Colorado Springs happened to hear gunshots. Officers then reportedly saw two vehicles, a silver BMW SUV and a dark-colored sedan, leaving the area of the shots.

Officers said they saw the sedan smash into three vehicles that were parked along Rebecca Lane. Eventually, both vehicles ended up in the Newport Square Apartments parking lot. The drivers of the vehicles fled the scene. A police K-9 was able to track the two juveniles, who were arrested north of the apartment complex.

Police say the BMW was involved in an incident at Walmart in the southeast part of the city. A weapon was brandished during that incident.

The vehicles allegedly abandoned by the two juveniles were reported stolen, although police did not specify when or from where the vehicles were taken. It was also not reported if any firearms were found on the juveniles when they were arrested.

When juveniles are charged with a crime, they could be dealt with in juvenile court or in adult court. It is up to the judge whether the juveniles will be charged as adults, and he or she usually relies heavily on the recommendation of the prosecutor.

As the parent of a juvenile charged with a crime, it is important that you and your child's attorney impress upon your child the seriousness of the matter. While there are different possible penalties for juveniles found guilty of various offenses, the goal is to rehabilitate a juvenile. However, if the juvenile is charged as an adult, the penalties are much more severe. Your child's attorney will be able to explain more about whether your child is at risk to be charged as an adult.

Source: The Gazette, "Police spot and arrest juveniles shooting guns, hitting cars," Kaitlin Durbin, Dec. 16, 2016