Boy, 5, Kills His Twin Brother During Fight: Sheriff

An argument between two young brothers turned deadly when one of them grabbed a knife and stabbed his twin, the local sheriff's office said.

Just before 4 p.m. on November 15, deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a 5-year-old stabbing victim at a residence on Tucker Road in unincorporated Scotts Valley, California, located roughly 10 miles north of Santa Cruz, the sheriff's office said in a statement that was shared on Facebook on Thursday.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they learned that two 5-year-old twins were fighting, "as siblings sometimes do," the sheriff's office said in the statement. "Tragically, during the incident, one of the 5-year-olds got a small kitchen knife and stabbed his twin brother."

Despite lifesaving efforts by Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office deputies, emergency personnel, and hospital staff, the boy passed away at the hospital, the sheriff's office added.

The surviving twin is not facing charges over his brother's death, authorities added.

Ashley Keehn, a Public Information Officer for the sheriff's office, told Newsweek in an email on Monday that the incident was a "tragic accident."

"After our investigation, this was a tragic accident that happened incredibly quickly," Keehn said. "There is no indication of negligence or criminal intent behind this incident."

In coordination with the Santa Cruz County district attorney's office, and in "light of all circumstances discovered" by the sheriff's office investigators, no charges will be filed against anyone involved.

California law dictates that age, criminal intent, and knowledge of wrongfulness are factors needed to charge a child with a crime, according to the sheriff's office. Based on the information discovered during the investigation, there was "no indication of negligence or criminal activity by any other party," the sheriff's office said.

The 5-year-old twin brothers have not been identified and no other details were available about the deadly altercation at the time of publication. It was unclear who was with the twins at the time of the fight and how the child got ahold of a knife.

"We are heartbroken for the family of these two young children and share in their grief," the sheriff's office said. "We will not be releasing any additional identifying information and are asking media to respect the family's privacy during this difficult time."

Update 11/20/2023, 10:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Keehn.