Minor on trial in Nîmes

A minor appeared before the juvenile court in Nîmes this week in connection with events that took place in April 2023. The trial is part of a broader investigation into a series of criminal incidents involving stolen vehicles and weapons.

Incident in Mas de Mingue neighborhood

On April 9, 2023, law enforcement was called to the avenue Notre dame de Santa Cruz in the Mas de Mingue neighborhood after a vehicle reported stolen in the Marseille area was found there. Police identified three occupants of the vehicle and a rider of a T-MAX motorcycle also reported stolen in the 13th department.

Weapons linked to attempted murder

The individuals were attempting to flee when they dropped their weapons. Later in legal proceedings, they claimed to be victims of aggressors who had left the weapons behind as police arrived. The weapons had previously been used in an attempted murder in Valdegour.

Weapons used in criminal activity

Among the weapons seized by investigators were two Kalashnikovs that had been used ten days earlier in the Valdegour neighborhood in an attempted murder linked to drugs. Two of the three suspects also had their DNA found in a vehicle used in a criminal dispute in Marseille on April 3, 2023, which resulted in two deaths and one serious injury.

Prosecutor's statement on police intervention

During a hearing in 2024, the prosecutor stated that without the intervention of the police, another shooting could have occurred in the Mas de Mingue neighborhood. Three adults were later sentenced in October 2024 to prison terms ranging from 8 to 12 years, with additional surety penalties.

Minor acquitted in closed juvenile court hearing

On Monday, October 19, 2026, the minor, who was suspected of accompanying the group, was tried before the juvenile court in Nîmes. He was acquitted without knowing the reasons, as juvenile court hearings are closed to the public. The lawyer of the suspected teenager, Maître Hugo Ferri, did not wish to comment.