In 1995, teenagers Michael Alvarado and Paul Soto attempted to steal a truck in a shopping mall parking lot in Santa Fe Springs, California. Alvarado approached the passenger side door of the truck, and Soto, holding a .357 Magnum pistol, approached the driver. The driver refused to give Soto the keys, so Soto shot and killed him. Alvarado then helped Soto hide the gun.
Both Alvarado and Soto were convicted of second-degree murder and robbery. Alvarado was convicted in large part because of incriminating statements he made about his involvement in the shooting during a two-hour interview with a police detective about a month after the murder.
At the time of the interview, Alvarado was a 17-year-old high school student. The detective contacted Alvarado’s mother, who agreed to bring him to the police station for questioning. When Alvarado arrived with his parents, the detective denied the parents’ request to remain with their son during the interview. While they waited in the lobby, Alvarado was questioned alone. During the two-hour session, the detective twice asked Alvarado if he wanted to take a break. Alvarado admitted to his role in the killing. At the end of the interview he went home. Alvarado was never advised that he had a right to remain silent, to consult a lawyer prior to answering questions, or to leave the police station.