Lynn teen held without bail in murder

LYNN – Rene Valdez’s family said the 15-year-old was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was fatally stabbed Monday night in the Highlands. Police interviews with witnesses indicate that an attempt by Valdez to rob a marijuana dealer got him killed.Javon Walczak, the 16-year-old Lynn resident charged with the victim’s murder, pleaded innocent to the charge Wednesday in District Court and was ordered held without bail by Judge Richard Mori until he returns to court Sept. 10.A Medford High School sophomore whose favorite expression was “be easy,” Valdez was visiting his grandfather and cousin on High Rock Street Monday evening when neighbors saw three men fighting in the street. Two fled and the third, Valdez, staggered, bleeding, to a wall and sat down.Responding Lynn detectives located and interviewed Swampscott resident Darren Colucci who told investigators he and Valdez contacted Walczak to buy marijuana with the intent of robbing him. Colucci received a minor stab wound in his left side.”During the rip-off the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed both Darren Colucci and Rene Valdez ? Rene Valdez was stabbed several times in the neck,” a police account of detectives’ interview with Colucci stated.Colucci, 17, 8 Valley Road, Swampscott, pleaded innocent Tuesday to an unarmed robbery charge in connection with the attempt to rob Walczak and was assigned $5,000 bail.Colucci told police he and Valdez thought up the plan to rob Walczak “25 minutes” before the stabbing occurred and told police Valdez previously bought marijuana from Walczak.But Esvin Merieda, Valdez’ father, said Valdez’ cousin “got him in trouble” when he convinced Valdez to leave his grandfather’s 121 High Rock St. home Monday night for a short walk. His grandfather told him not to go out but Merieda said Valdez replied, “It’s OK, it’s just a block away.”Merieda said Valdez went to his grandfather’s on Monday after spending Sunday working at the Reading Chili’s Grill where Merieda is a manager.”I was trying to keep him busy and out of trouble,” Merieda said.Family members said Valdez planned to enroll in an alternative high school program aimed at developing job skills, when he turned 16. They said he liked computers and was interested in computer science as a career.”He liked to learn from the inside out,” said his mother, Bielka Valdez.Medford resident Manuela Rosario said Valdez and other friends of her daughter, Mickaela, often spent time at her home.”He was easy-going, funny and a perfect gentleman beyond his age,” Manuela Rosario said, adding she counseled the teenagers on more than one occasion about staying out of trouble.Jonathan Whitson also spent time at the Rosarios’ and said Valdez “was just the type of kid who makes everybody laugh.””Everybody knew him and he got along with everybody,” Whitson said.Police listed 121 Fellsmere St. and 208 Edgemere Road as Walczak’s addresses. His booking record lists him as a Classical High School sophomore. A school employee who answered Classical’s telephone Wednesday confirmed Walczak is a student there.Jonathan Shapiro, Walczak’s attorney, said Walczak does not have a juvenile criminal record and is an average student who lives with his mother, Stacey, and siblings on Edgemere Road. He said Walczak was born in Salem and had looked for a job this summer but had not been able to find one.Shapiro challenged the law that allows juveniles charged with murder to be arraigned in District Court instead of Juvenile Court.”What is so tragic besides what is charged is the tragedy that a child barely 16 is being treated as an adult,” Shapiro said.Police on Tuesday also arrested Joseph Pires, 31, of 121 Fellsmere St. while searching his home in connection with the Valdez murder investigation. Officers, according to reports, found a “marijuana grow operation” in Pires’ attic and confiscated 40 “freshly growing marijuana plants” as well as packaged marijuana, packaging and weighing scales.Pires pleaded innocent to ma