An 11-year-old Colorado the boy is accused of murder in the death of his five-year-old brother, lawmakers confirmed Wednesday.
He was charged Monday with first-degree murder and a felony juvenile offender sentence enhancer, The Prosecutor’s Office of the 18th Judicial District confirmed ita few days after he was arrested.
Police were called to a home in the 5200 block of South Jerico Street in Centennial around 5:30 p.m. on March 11.
The juvenile suspect was taken into custody by Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office deputies, according to a X post by the sheriff and transported to the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center.
Because the victim and the suspect are minors, investigators have not shared details about the events that led to the child’s death or the identities of those involved.
Authorities did not specify how the child was killed, or what led up to the incident.
The children’s neighbors told him CBS News their children were playing with their siblings a few days before the five-year-old’s death.
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The victim was a kindergarten student at Timberline Elementary School in Denver, according to the US newspaper.
In a statement to X, Arapahoe Sheriff Tyler Brown wrote, “Our hearts go out to the family of these two young men and to everyone in our community who is suffering this loss.”
“Cases involving the homicide of children are among the most difficult that our deputies and investigators face. Our team is fully committed to a thorough investigation and we will continue to work tirelessly to determine exactly what happened,” he continued.
“We know that tragedies like this affect not only the family, but also classmates, teachers and neighbors throughout the community. We appreciate the public’s support and patience as our investigators work to gather the facts and pursue justice in this case.”
ABC News Legal analyst Brian Buckmire said it was “extremely unusual” for a child to receive a charge of first-degree murder.
Typically, “someone who is 11 years old does not have the mental capacity or the mental capacity to commit this crime,” he said. “Often we have to go through a hearing to see whether or not an 11-year-old understands the concept of swearing.”
The cause of death is still under investigation, police said.
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