14-year-old charged as adult in beating death of her 79-year-old grandmother in Lauderdale Lakes
FORT LAUDERDALE - A 14-year-old girl has been charged as an adult in the beating death of her 79-year-old grandmother at their home in Lauderdale Lakes in May.
Broward State Attorney's Office said prosecutors formally filed the manslaughter charge against her on Tuesday and she was moved from the Juvenile Assessment Center to the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale where she will be held in protective custody. She had previously faced a second-degree murder charge as a juvenile.
Because of her age, CBS News Miami is not identifying her.
In the arrest report, it was determined that the teen allegedly "physically struck the victim," Yevheniia Koval, "multiple times" with a belt. That included 15 abrasions to the woman's neck and faces along with multiple bruises. There also were lacerations to the back of Koval's head.
Koval suffered hemorrhaging to the right side of her back, right and left arms.
The teen may have used her grandmother's walker to hit her and a piece of the walker was broken, according to the arrest report.
During questioning, the teen said she "started crying and was sorry for what she had done," the arrest report said.
The girl waived a first appearance Wednesday morning and magistrate Judge Carlos S. Rebollo ordered her held without bond in an agreement with the defense and prosecution. She is facing up to 15 years in prison, but because of her age, if she's convicted, she could be sentenced to juvenile sanctions.
In the juvenile system, those found guilty and sentenced would have to be released after a maximum of three years and could only be kept under supervision in the community until age 21.
She could be subject to deportation because she is not a U.S. citizen. She came to the United States from Ukraine 11 months ago.
The teen was arrested by the Broward Sheriff's Office.
"Because of the heinous nature of the crime and after considering everything presented by the defense so far, I believe it is appropriate that this case should be handled in adult court," State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement. "We are considering all options and working closely with her attorneys at the Broward Public Defender's Office to come up with an appropriate resolution that holds her accountable but also factors in her age and the circumstances of this offense."
At 12:26 a.m. on May 23, Broward County deputies and Fire Rescue were called to Pearl Condominiums at 4191 NW 41st St. in Lauderdale Lakes where a woman was found unresponsive. Crews met the woman's son, who said he left his mother — Koval — at home with his teenage daughter to visit a friend.
When he returned home, the man said he found Koval "unresponsive on the floor with multiple bruises on her body," according to a press release from the Broward Sheriff's Office. Paramedics transported the woman to Broward Health Medical Center where she died.
Her death was ruled as murder after an autopsy report.
The son said all three family members lived in the apartment. According to the arrest report, he told detectives "that his daughter has been giving him behavioral issues, which he believed was from the war she witnessed in Ukraine after being separated from her mother."
He had taken her phone away as discipline before the killing, he said, according to detectives.
Deputies took the girl to the BSO Public Safety Building.
In a redacted arrest report, the teenager in Ukrainian said "the victim was already dying and that she had helped her die."
It was noted in the arrest report that "she was very agitated and appeared aggressive at times. She also was constantly moving around. At this time it appeared that (name) was suffering from a possible psychotic episode."
The suspect had not been assessed with a mental illness but was subsequently Baker Acted.
At the Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health Center, she was described as being aggressive and was administered medicine by hospital staff.