By Rebecca Everett | For NJ.com

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Karon Council appears in the court room of Judge David Bauman on March 1, 2018 at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold Borough. (Mark R. Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media)

Two teenagers accused of shooting a 10-year-old boy and injuring his mother in Asbury Park in February are one step closer to trial after a Monmouth County grand jury indicted them on a slew of charges including murder.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office announced the indictments Monday, noting that neither the boy or his mother were believed to be the intended targets of the bullets fired at their home on Feb. 21.

Karon Council, 18, and Jah-Del K. Birch, 17, both of Neptune Township, are charged with the slaying, though prosecutors allege that Council was the one who pulled the trigger.

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Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, was killed at his home in Asbury Park. (Courtesy of GoFundMe.com)

The shooting killed Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, and injured his mother, Lilia Merino, 38.

Council’s attorney said his client had a beef with Banos-Merino’s older brother.

According to prosecutors and a criminal complaint against Council, he and Birch knocked on the door of the home in the 400 block of Ridge Avenue and asked for someone identified only as Jameer. The girl who answered the door — and recognized Birch from her school — said he wasn’t home.

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The two teens left the house but returned a short time later with a gun, the complaint said. Council pulled a handgun out of his waistband and started shooting at the house, according to the complaint.

Multiple witnesses identified him as the shooter and Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Matt Bogner said at Council’s March detention hearing that the shooting was also captured on surveillance video.

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Emergency responders were notified of the shooting by a 911 call at 10:40 p.m. and found that two of the dozen people who had been in the home had been shot. Banos-Merino was pronounced dead at the home at 11:18 p.m. and his mother was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune where she was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, authorities said.

The prosecutor’s office said Council told a witness that he had shot up the house, and that witness led them to the handgun at Council’s aunt’s home.

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Authorities work at a home on Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park early Thursday, February 22, 2018. (Kevin Shea | For NJ.com)

Birch was arrested two days after the shooting at Neptune High School, where he was a student. Bogner said in court that as that arrest was taking place, Council fled the schol and made arrangements for friends to drive him to Florida to escape prosecution.

U.S. Marshals and the Broward County Sheriff’s Department quickly arrested him Feb. 25 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, near where his girlfriend had family, authorities said. U.S. Marshal Manny Puri said that a gun was also recovered during the arrest.

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In February, I had the agonizing job covering the funeral of a 10-year-old Asbury Park boy. Today I had the equally difficult responsibility photographing a hearing for the 16-year-old who played integral role in Yovanni Banos-Merino's death. https://t.co/L9W6RJWrRD pic.twitter.com/hB4zeeMecP — Bob Karp (@BobKarpDR) June 26, 2018

Council was transported back to New Jersey and both he and Birch have been ordered held pending trial. A judge has agreed to allow Birch to be tried as an adult.

A grand jury handed down six indictments each for Birch and Council, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges.

If convicted of murder, they’d face sentences of 30 years to life in prison.

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In a statement to NJ Advance Media, U.S. Marshal Puri said Council goes by the street name “Boogie” and is possibly a member of the Bloods street gang. Local officials did not confirm that.

Council's attorney, Paul Zager, said in court that his client is a role model for other kids in his family and has aspirations of joining the U.S. Air Force. He said Council had good family support, which was evident as loved ones called out to him as he was led out of court in March.

"This is not your typical street thug involved in something gang-related," Zager said.

Public records indicate Council has been arrested in the past for disorderly conduct, trespassing, improper behavior and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

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One of my angels is now God’s Angel. Rest In Peace Yovanni. I will miss his beautiful smile and laughter. Please support his family! Posted by Edwin Ruiz on Saturday, February 24, 2018

On a Gofundme page to raise money for his funeral and transportation for his body to Mexico, his sister wrote that Yovanni had a beautiful soul and that his "laughter will always be remembered."

One donor on the page described him as "one of the sweetest children I've ever had the privilege to teach."

After the shooting, a neighbor, Kareena Martin, told NJ Advance Media Yovanni and her son used to play together at their Asbury Park homes.

"He enjoyed his friends, his personality was awesome," Martin said. "(He) enjoyed playing sports with my son as well, backyard football to be exact."

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Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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