The investigation into the case of the 15-year-old boy killed in the locality of Cenei, Timiș County, reveals details indicating premeditated murder.
Prosecutors confirm that the three minors involved had planned the murder approximately a month prior, stemming from an older conflict with the victim. According to sources among the investigators, the crime was allegedly motivated by envy.
Two of the minors have been detained, while the third, being only 13 years old, was left free as they are not criminally responsible.
Prosecutors: a plan established in advance
The Timiș County Prosecutor's Office indicates that the act was not spontaneous. According to the indictment, on the evening of January 19, 2026, around 9:30 p.m., a 15-year-old adolescent and a 13-year-old acted according to a plan established approximately a month earlier.
On Monday evening, they called Alin Mario Berinde to the home of the 13-year-old, telling him they wanted to show him a new ATV. Around 9:30 p.m., he took his scooter and went to the meeting. Once there, one of the 15-year-old teenagers repeatedly struck him with an axe, while the 13-year-old used a knife, as reported by News.ro.
After the murder, the third 15-year-old adolescent, also arrived at the scene. Prosecutors specify that all three minors then participated in desecrating the body, which they set on fire and buried behind the garden.
Investigators claim that the third suspect played an active role in assisting the other two, both in concealing the body and in erasing the traces of the crime.
Killed on the day of disappearance
The adolescent was killed on the same day his mother reported him missing. While the police were searching for him, the perpetrators allegedly behaved normally.
The searches initially led to the discovery of personal items, and later evidence pointed to an address in Cenei, where the boy's body was found buried.
Older conflict and possible motive
According to information from the investigation, there were older tensions between the victim and the suspects, erupting as far back as last summer. The school counselor of the minors, cited by Digi24, indicated a possible motive as a power struggle within the group of friends, fueled by differences in material status.
The 13-year-old boy reportedly confessed to investigators that, along with the two older friends, they envied Alin Mario Berinde because he had things they could only dream of, such as an electric scooter or an ATV. The assailants claimed to the investigators that Mario had terrorized them, threatened them with violence, and even physically assaulted them on multiple occasions.
Investigators continue to analyze the context in which the relationships between the adolescents deteriorated to the point of planning the crime.
Suspects' possible penalties
The two 15-year-old adolescents have been detained.
One is accused of qualified murder and desecration of corpses, while the other is accused of aiding the perpetrator and desecration of corpses. The 13-year-old minor is under investigation but is not criminally responsible due to their age.
Before the investigators, the suspects admitted to their actions and stated that they regret what happened, according to their lawyer.
The two detained minors were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine for psychiatric evaluations and are expected to be presented to the court on Thursday with a proposal for pre-trial detention for 30 days.
Community in tension: parents afraid to send children to school
The mayor of Cenei commune, Sîrgean Tanasin, says the locality is in a state of shock and tension after the 13-year-old student involved in the crime, who is not criminally responsible, could return to classes.
"Everyone is still in shock, parents are panicked," the mayor told News.ro, explaining that the school principal has no legal basis to deny the student access. "Children don't want to go to school, parents are panicked, and we somehow have to remove him from the community," the mayor said.
In this context, local authorities have set up a school safety committee, and a police car will be stationed permanently in the school area. "We need to normalize things with the children, have them come to school, and parents shouldn't be afraid to send their children to school," the mayor emphasized, noting that there are 254 students in the commune and a general state of tension exists.
The mayor states that other institutions are also involved in preventing further incidents. "We must take care to prevent another event. We need to prevent, take measures before something else happens," he said, adding that teams from the DGASPC and school safety are expected to provide counseling for children and parents. The mayor also mentioned considering filing a criminal complaint against the mother of the 13-year-old for failing to supervise him: "We are considering filing a criminal complaint against the mother for not taking care of him and not providing supervision."
Representatives of the General Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) Timișoara also announced that they will carry out prevention activities in the community of Cenei.
"We intervene on two levels. We have maintained constant contact with the community. My colleagues are evaluating the case of the 13-year-old child, speaking with the family, neighbors, teachers, local authorities, and based on the results of this assessment and the Police investigation, the necessary measures will be taken.
Simultaneously, another team of colleagues is going to the school in the locality to talk to the students, carry out prevention activities, and provide counseling. It is certainly an unpleasant situation and a state of fear among the children," said Smaranda Marcu, the spokesperson for DGASPC Timișoara.