12-Year-Old Charged With Killing Toddler With Bat

Jan 06, 04:07 PM

By Natalie Mcneal and Wanda J. DeMarzo, The Miami Herald

Jan. 6--A 12-year-old Lauderhill boy has been charged with first-degree murder in the baseball beating death of a toddler who was left in his care, authorities said Sunday.

The boy, who was arraigned in juvenile court Sunday, had been left alone with his 10-year-old brother and a 17-month-old girl at a Lauderhill home on Friday, authorities said. The 12-year-old became upset because the toddler was making noise while he was trying to watch TV.

The 12-year-old grabbed a baseball bat and struck the little girl several times in the head, according to Lauderhill police spokesman Lt. Mike Cochran.

About 1:15 p.m., someone called 911 saying the toddler had difficulty breathing. When Fire Rescue arrived, the child was not breathing and was rushed to Plantation General Hospital. Police said the little girl, Shaloh Joseph, died of blunt force trauma to the head. The boy is charged as juvenile at this time and is being held in juvenile detention. Judge Martin Dishowitz found enough reason on Sunday to keep the boy locked up despite the his family's plea to release him. In court, the boy's family argued that he has no previous history of violence or criminal record.

"He's not a violent kid," his mother said. "He's afraid of the police."

A hearing was date was set for Jan. 22.

-----

To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. 12-Year-Old Charged With Killing Toddler With Bat
Back to Current Headlines