Team DailyPedia
Pennsylvania – Ten-year-old Tristen Kurilla was detained without bail on Tuesday for killing Helen Novak, a 90-year-old lady who was being cared for by his grandfather.
Police reports said the beating occurred Saturday when Tristen was visiting his grandfather.
The boy called his grandfather’s attention telling him that Novak was bleeding from her mouth. When the old man checked on her, she was not bleeding however, she looked very scared. Half an hour later, as the grandfather checks again on Novak, she was not responsive. He then called 911, police said.
The grandfather asked the boy if he had done something with Novak. Tristen said he was mad at the old woman for yelling at him so he punched her and put a cane around her neck. He also told the Pennsylvania state of police, “I killed that lady,” but added that he did not mean to do it.
Novak’s neck contained blunt force, based on the autopsy result. The injuries found were consistent to the boy’s stories. This finding resulted to charging him with criminal homicide but since it is excluded from juvenile law, he was charged as an adult.
In an interview with the boy’s mother, she said that her son has some mental difficulties. This is yet to be diagnosed.
In a recent report from NY Daily News, Bernard Brown, lawyer of Kurilla family, filed a request to have the 10-year-old moved to a juvenile detention center or returned to his family. However, the petition was withdrawn after because the parents said they “do not feel comfortable having custody of him” at the moment.
Meanwhile, in the county prison where the boy was detained, Tristen was given coloring books to draw and play with. But the detectives were surprised to find a piece of notebook paper in his cell with a “How To Escape” handwritten message on it.
