Murder?!
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Jan. 11) - A 12-year-old boy has been charged with murdering and raping a male preschooler, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
The 12-year-old is not being identified because of his age. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in juvenile court.
District Attorney William Bennett said 3-year-old Jeremy Rosario Milan died on Dec. 19, two days after being hospitalized with bruises and a head injury.
An autopsy found the younger boy died from blunt-force trauma to the brain. Bennett said Jeremy had been raped at least twice and beaten several times between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17, while he was left in the care of individuals outside his immediate family.
Earlier, the 12-year-old was charged with assaulting the little boy and pleaded innocent in juvenile court. He has been held in state custody since then on $10,000 bail.
Alan Black, the 12-year-old's lawyer, declined to comment.
Under state law, juveniles convicted of murder can be held in state custody only until age 21.
