16 year old Springfield murder suspect moved to adult court

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A 16 year-old who has been charged with the murder of a 38 year-old man in Springfield over the weekend has been moved from juvenile court to adult court.

Joshua Pena was was moved from Hampden County Juvenile Court to Springfield District Court on Monday morning. He is accused of murder after he allegedly shot Antonio Gonzalez in the chest early Saturday morning in front of a home on Bay Street. Gonzalez was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where he died.

Pena has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

There was extra security inside the courthouse for Pena's arraignment, as emotions were high for both his family and the family of Gonzalez.

Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney told 22News that on Saturday, Pena had come to a teen birthday party on Bay Street armed and “looking to start trouble.”

Gonzalez's wife told 22News that her husband, who lived on nearby Marion Street, saw a fight happening outside and tried to break it up, and that was when he was shot.

Delaney says that no one had called the police to break-up the party prior to the shooting.

Gonzalez' killing was the city's seventh homicide of 2012, and the first since the killing of Officer Kevin Ambrose on June 4. Delaney said that Gonzalez had no criminal record and no affiliation with any gang.

Family and friends will hold a vigil for Gonzalez on Parallel Street in Springfield at 4:00 P.M.