A 12-year-old Maryland boy faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in the death of a 2-year-old, according to the local sheriff's office.
The boy was arrested and taken to the Lower Eastern Shore Children's Center in Salisbury, Maryland, where he is being held, the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) said in a statement on Tuesday. The preteen is also charged with second-degree murder, two counts of assault and reckless endangerment.
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook to the sheriff's office on Tuesday night for comment.
WCSO deputies responded to a call about the death of the 2-year-old on Saturday at a residence on Jack Drive in the city of Salisbury, about 30 miles from Ocean City, the popular beach town.
Detectives from the Wicomico County Child Advocacy Center were called in and conducted an investigation, WCSO said in the statement that was also shared on Facebook. Detectives spoke with the caregivers in "reference to the circumstances surrounding this incident," the sheriff's office said.
While the WCSO said the juvenile suspect lived in the same home as the victim, authorities did not say if they were related. Additional details regarding the death were not available at the time of publication and the sheriff's office did not release information on how the toddler died.
Newsweek also reached out to the Wicomico center for comment.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Wicomico center at 410-713-3900.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
