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Teen charged in 16-year-old's death pleads not guilty
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The teenager charged in the accidental death of a 16-year-old Monticello girl was arraigned with three others Tuesday morning at the Newton County Judicial Center.

Kyle Blake Holland, 18, of Social Circle, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, theft by taking and criminal trespass.

The charges stem from an incident in October where Kerri Mincy, 16, of Monticello, was killed while she and four others were reportedly trespassing at a Stanton Springs Technology Park construction site located off U.S. Highway 278.

Also in court Tuesday, Cody Lee Smith, 17, of Covington; Tony Joe Burnett, 19, of Monticello; and Jeffrey Cantrell, 18, of Newborn, all pleaded not guilty to theft by taking and criminal trespass charges related to the same incident.

 The five teenagers reportedly entered the construction site and took joyrides on several pieces of heavy construction equipment including a Komatsu dump truck, a Caterpillar road grader and a Kawasaki front loader.

At the time of the accident, Newton County Sheriff's Lt. Bill Watterson said Holland was driving the front loader while his girlfriend, Mincy, rode as a passenger. The front loader slipped down an embankment and Holland reportedly attempted to correct the machine by turning left, but the damage was already done and the vehicle flipped onto its right side. Mincy reportedly jumped off the machine as it fell, but she was unable to escape its decent and was crushed.

Holland, Burnett, Smith and Cantrell will next appear in court on Feb. 5 at 8:30 p.m. The teens are all currently released on bond.