An 11-year-old girl is charged with the violent murder of a baby in Ohio. Police say the girl’s mother was babysitting her friend’s 2-month-old daughter Friday to give the new mom a break.
According to CNN, the mother, the girl and the baby were all on the couch when the mother fell asleep. That is when the 11-year-old took the baby, Zuri Whitehead, upstairs. She came back down about 45 minutes later telling her mother something was wrong with the baby. Baby Zuri was rushed to the hospital, but died in surgery.
The Cuyahoga County Coroner’s office later ruled the death a homicide; the baby had massive injuries to her brain, liver, spleen and kidney. She had been beaten to death.
The brutality surrounding the baby’s death shocked many. The Wickliffe police chief said he is considering offering counseling for officers who responded to the scene.
“We’re trying to figure out what would motivate someone to do something like that. And so far, we haven’t come up with an answer.” Police Chief Randy Ice told reporters. “We’re having a hard time getting our head around this. You don’t see something like this, hardly ever.”
A juvenile court judge is ordering a competency hearing for the accused killer. If convicted, the 11-year-old could be locked up until she turns 21.
Click here to watch video of the girl’s courtroom appearance.
