Tulsa Teen Was On Path To Treatment For Extensive Criminal Activity, Attorney Says

Tulsa teen, Deonte Green, faces more charges in connection with a crime spree earlier this month that left a Broken Arrow teacher dead.

He has an extensive criminal history that includes car break-ins, home break-ins, assault, gun possession and drug possession.

Green has been in and out of house arrest.

10/11/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Teen Now Facing 22 Charges Related To Crime Spree

"The way the juvenile system is set up is it is therapeutic and rehabilitative by nature which is very different than the adult system, what people are used to which is punitive,” Attorney Ivan Orndorff explained.

On September 20th, Green went to court for connection with a home break-in and theft. The judge ordered probation and asked for the teenager to get a mentor, start counseling and get into a sport.

"By law, the court and the judge always have to go with what is least restrictive, which in his case meant keeping him in the community,” said Orndorff. "In Deonte's case, he had not yet begun a probationary period, he had not engaged in concealing service, mental health treatment, whatever it was that was on his treatment plan; he hadn't really had an opportunity time-wise and to measure how effective that treatment plan was."

Eleven days later, after his day in court, police say Green raped an 81-year-old woman and killed a Broken Arrow teacher in front of his family.

"The system more often than not truly does work,” said Orndorff. “We see so many young people really get their lives turned around; we get them rehabilitated. Just unfortunately, this was a horrible tragedy. This was one where, unfortunately, the system wasn't set up to avoid.”