New York Boys 8, 9 Charged with Killing 4-Year-Old

Reuters ^ | 9/08/01

[kattracks]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two brothers, age 8 and 9, were charged on Friday in the stabbing death of a 4-year-old boy after they allegedly attacked him outside his New York City apartment and severed his jugular vein with a pen or key, police said.

Emanuel Barima was fatally stabbed in the neck on Wednesday after he and his 5-year-old sister left their apartment to throw a dirty diaper down a trash chute in the hallway, police said.

The little boy was to have started school on Thursday.

Authorities questioned and charged the two brothers, who live in the same apartment building as the Barimas, after the sister identified them as the attackers and said they had been bullying her throughout the summer, police said.

The 8-year-old boy was charged with criminally negligent homicide and his 9-year-old brother was charged with second degree felony assault.

Both were charged as juveniles. The 8-year-old could face up to 18 months in juvenile detention if convicted. The sentence his brother would face if convicted was not immediately clear.

The case was to go before a Family Court judge in the city's Bronx borough.

Police were investigating whether the boy was stabbed with a set of keys or a pen.

``The weapon went into the victim's neck 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) and hit his jugular vein, and he collapsed in his apartment,'' said Bronx Chief of Detectives Joseph Reznick.

Because of the boys' ages it was expected they would be sent to a hospital for psychological examinations, authorities said.

The victim's parents emigrated to the United States from Ghana.

[gcruse]

Police were investigating whether the boy
was stabbed with a set of keys or a pen.

Yes, that has to be question of the day.

[Rays_Dad]

Who cares where the little kid's parents are from. A little boy died that is all that matters. Just had to throw that tid-bit of information in there.

[RightOnline]

Human trash.

[Don Myers]

"Just had to throw that tid-bit of information in there."

I am assuming this information should have been kept secret to avoid offending minority groups?

[joeyman]

The victim's parents emigrated to the United States from Ghana.

So this is how they raise kids in Ghana huh? Oh the joys of a multicultural society.

[thathamiltonwoman]

The victim's parents were from Ghana. The killers are American if that makes you feel any better.

[ValerieUSA]

Is English your fifth language?

[IRtorqued]

are they Americans or hyphenated americans?

[Lazamataz]

This stoty is bogus. No gun was used, and as we all know, you need a gun for it to be violence.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I think they are immigrants who might have lived in low income projects and the older boys that allegedly did the crime were probably black as well, and that's why it's not mentioned, their races, because they were all black, so we, as Americans are supposed to be more outraged, thinking it might be a multiracial crime than just a solo raced crime, which doesn't garner as much interest.

[IRtorqued]

ain't that the truth, funny how the 'media' is like that.

[Mopp4]

Because of the boys' ages it was expected they would be sent to a hospital for psychological examinations, authorities said.

These two should have Andrea Yates assigned as their foster mother. Maybe then justice will be served....

[carenot]

I wonder if the kids are on Ritlen.

[joeyman]

The victim's parents were from Ghana. The killers are American if that makes you feel any better.

Meow.

[joeyman]

Is English your fifth language?

No, is it yours?