Investigators have reconstructed the sequence of events surrounding the violence that occurred in Cenei, Timiș County, where 15-year-old Alin Mario Berinde was murdered after being lured into a house. According to the case file, the attack had been premeditated for roughly a month, involving multiple minors. The events of the evening of January 19 were meticulously reconstituted, revealing a swift succession of aggressive acts and attempts to cover up the traces.
Reconstruction of the violence in Cenei
Based on the information gathered by investigators, Alin was invited to the home of a 13-year-old boy under the pretense of seeing a new ATV. Inside the house was also a 15-year-old adolescent. The 13-year-old allegedly took advantage of his parents’ absence—his father working abroad and his mother on night duty—to execute his plan.
Once inside, Alin was attacked by the two. After being struck in the head with an ax, he managed to escape to a neighbor’s gate but was caught, dragged back into the yard, and according to the case file, the assailants attempted to set him on fire. Subsequently, a third minor, also 15 years old, allegedly appeared and assisted the others in covering up the scene and hiding the lifeless body.
At the same time, documents include a 21-year-old young man who was interviewed as a witness after the victim’s bag was found in front of his house. He claims he had no connection to the events and only learned about the tragedy during the questioning.
“I don’t know anything at all, I haven’t participated anywhere, I didn’t even know; I found out just now, from you, that I’m a witness – now I know. (…), so I’m supposed to go give a statement about what I knew. (…). I found a lot of blood there and from there we realized that Mario could be there. We were waiting with the police, I was there, we couldn’t do anything. It was discovered that he was there and there was nothing more to be done.”
The elements collected so far outline a coordinated involvement of the minors, including actions taken after the crime to hide what occurred. The sequence of events indicates both premeditation and a brutal escalation of aggression, followed by attempts to erase the traces.
Community Reaction and Announced Measures
The community in Cenei is in shock, and feelings of insecurity have risen after the 13-year-old—who cannot be held criminally responsible—was released. Parents and students are worried, and local authorities are seeking immediate solutions to restore safety around the school and in public areas.
“We are still in shock; everyone is trying to take measures now, as the young one (the 13-year-old, who cannot be held criminally responsible) has been released, and we don’t know what to do now. The children are reluctant to go to school, parents are panicking, and we must find a way to remove him from the community somehow.
We have now organized a safety committee, and a team from DGSPC, School Safety, and the police will come to see what to do, because we need to bring things back to normal for the children, so they can go to school and parents won’t be afraid to take their children there.
The principal is panicking about the student potentially coming to school; she has no legal grounds to expel him. (…) We have teams patrolling the community, and a police car will permanently be stationed at the school to monitor the area.”
The mayor announced an increase in patrols, and a police team will remain permanently near the school. A safety committee has been formed, including DGASPC and School Safety structures, to ensure rapid interventions and psychological support for students and families. The school leadership, lacking legal grounds, cannot prohibit the student’s access, hence monitoring in the area has been intensified.
The mayor indicated that they are considering filing a criminal complaint against the mother of the 13-year-old, citing lack of supervision, and emphasized the need for child protection institutions to take notice and monitor the case.
“We are considering filing a criminal complaint against the mother for not taking care of him and not supervising him.”
Locally, authorities are working on specific measures around the school and including a DGASPC and School Safety team in the working committee so that classes can proceed predictably for students and parents.
