Now 22, man convicted in brutal 2007 attack on Nampa child is back in court

Trevor Reizenstein was 12 years old when he was arrested on suspicion of sexually molesting and trying to kill a friend’s 5-year-old sister in a Nampa alleyway.

Ten years later, he is back in the Canyon County Jail, this time for violating his probation. That violation reopened his 10-year-old case, one of the most notorious in recent Nampa history.

Sentenced as an adult to 10 to 20 years for attempted first-degree murder and battery with intent to commit a serious felony, Reizenstein was held in Idaho’s juvenile correction system, with the court retaining jurisdiction until he turned 21 in March 2015. He was released on probation and has served no time in the state’s adult prison system, an Idaho Department of Correction spokesman said.

That could change if a judge reviewing the reopened case determines he should serve more of his original sentence.

Reizenstein was arrested on Jan. 30, accused of using meth, possessing an unauthorized smartphone and improperly accessing the internet in violation of the terms of his probation, IDOC spokesman Jeff Ray said Monday. He is being held on $35,000 bond, and his next court appearance is a 3rd District Court arraignment on Feb. 10.

Reizenstein, who will turn 23 next month, has been living in Boise, according to the Idaho Sexual Offenders Registry. No previous probation violations have been reported, Ray said.

His victim is now 15, and a no-contact order in the case is still in place, a Canyon County spokesman said.

The severity of the 2007 crime and the youth of its perpetrator rocked the community and the state. Officials wrestled with how to handle the case and where the young offender should be held. The Idaho Supreme Court ruled 4-1 the boy could be tried as an adult.

What happened 10 years ago?

On Jan. 24, 2007, Reizenstein went to a friend’s house after school, got into an altercation that made him angry, then turned his attention to the friend’s 5-year-old sister, Deputy Canyon County Prosecutor Erica Kallin said during the boy’s sentencing hearing in November 2009.

“She was told by Trevor that there was a Care Bear in trouble and she had to go help the Care Bear, “ Kallin said. “She loves Care Bears.”

When the little girl went outside with her brother’s friend, she said, “he shoved a sock in her mouth, picked her up and carried her through the back yard to the alley.” Some time later, two teenagers on bicycles came upon Reizenstein, then saw the girl — naked from the waist down and partially covered with roofing material. They held the boy until police arrived. Red marks around the girl’s neck and red splotches all over her face indicated she had been choked, according to a doctor, and blood in her ear indicated she was hit in the head. She also suffered a severe vaginal tear, a doctor said.

The sentencing hearing also featured harrowing information about Reizenstein’s background, from testing positive for meth and marijuana at birth to cognitive delays and numerous run-ins with police that landed him on probation for the first time at age 7 or 8. Juvenile charges included arson, theft and malicious injury to property. The judge in the case called Reizenstein “a product of neglect and abandon” and said it would be up to him whether he responds to treatment and finds a productive life.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Now 22, man convicted in brutal 2007 attack on Nampa child is back in court."