Girl, 11, Charged in Beating Death of Toddler

An 11-year-old Ohio girl stands accused of brutally and fatally beating a 2-month-old to death.

WOIO reports the victim was 2-month-old Zuri Whitehead. Whitehead was killed as she spent the night with the attacker and her mother. The mother was watching Whitehead for a friend at the time of the killing.

The mother told police that she fell asleep with both her daughter and Whitehead on the couch around 3 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6. It seems that after the mother fell asleep, the 11-year-old took the infant upstairs and beat her to death. After attacking the baby, the attacker brought the baby back downstairs to show her mother, who immediately called for an ambulance.

The child died despite being airlifted to a children's hospital in Cleveland.

The Associated Press reports that Whitehead's mother has three other children and the attacker's mother was watching the victim to help out the victim's mother.

Local authorities told the Blade that the attacker is the youngest murderer they can recall in all their years of service. Because of the attacker's age, she cannot be referred to adult court, which is usually what happens when minors are involved with particularly violent or gruesome crimes. Ohio law mandates that a minor must be at least 14 before they can be tried in adult court for their crimes.

However, it is possible that the girl is forced to stay in a facility operated by the Department of Youth Services until she is 21, according to the AP.

The girl has entered a not guilty plea and the judge ordered that she be evaluated to determine if she understands her actions are wrong and is competent to stand trial. The police chief whose officers responded to the scene told the AP it did not seem like she understood exactly what she had done.