Sad but true story for today: 12-year-old beats toddler to death with bat for crying.

[BigRedChief]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/06/....ap/index.html

12-year-old beats toddler to death with bat, police say

• The boy was arrested Saturday on first-degree murder charges, police say
  
• Boy confessed that he was home alone baby-sitting girl and toddler
  
• He was arraigned in juvenile court Sunday and remained in custody
  
Case recalls saga of Lionel Tate who was 13 when convicted of a similar crime

LAUDERHILL, Florida (AP) -- A 12-year-old boy beat a toddler to death with a baseball bat because she was crying while he was trying to watch TV, authorities said.

The boy, who was not identified, was arrested Saturday on first-degree murder charges, Lauderhill police spokesman Lt. Mike Cochran said.

He was arraigned in juvenile court Sunday and remained in custody, but it was not clear if he had an attorney or if anyone else would be charged in the girl's death.

Cochran said the boy confessed to authorities that he was home alone Friday baby-sitting a 10-year-old girl and the 17-month-old girl and became angry when the toddler began to cry. The relationship between the three was not clear.

At some point, an adult called 911. The girl, Shaloh Joseph, was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma to the head, Cochran said.

The Miami Herald identified the boy's mother as Guerla Joseph. A telephone listing for a Guerla Joseph in Fort Lauderdale had been disconnected.

The case is not the first in Florida where a boy so young has been charged in the death of a child. Lionel Tate was 12 when he beat and stomped to death a playmate half his age in Florida.

At the time, Tate was the youngest person in modern U.S. history to receive a life prison sentence. His attorneys initially said he accidentally killed 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick in 1999 while imitating pro wrestling moves.

Tate was convicted as an adult of first-degree murder, but the conviction was thrown out in 2004, and Tate pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Pushead2]

this is sad and pathetic......jesus....

[Simplex3]

Put a needle in him.

And probably the parent(s), too.

[KC Kings]

I used to read stories like this and wonder how in the world could somebody hurt a baby just for crying, then I had kids.....

Don't get me wrong, I have never and would never hurt any kids, but more than once I have had to leave a screaming baby alone his crib and walk out of the room for a 10 count. That's why my kids have never stayed with a baby sitter other than my Mom or our next door neighbor.

[eazyb81]

Reminds me of the Eric Smith story I saw on television this weekend.

What a monster, hope they make sure he is never allowed to see the light of day again. Also the parents need to be held at least parially responsible.

[ceebz]

Isn't twelve a little young to be "babysitting" a 17-month-old baby?

[KC Kings]

Originally Posted by ceebz

Isn't twelve a little young to be "babysitting" a 17-month-old baby?

"Babysitting" is what the irresponsible parent calls it when you make your 12 year old with a temper and a baseball bat watch his siblings/cousins so you don't have to provide proper supervision.

[Simplex3]

Originally Posted by ceebz

Isn't twelve a little young to be "babysitting" a 17-month-old baby?

Yes. Which is why I think mommy needs the needle, too. If we aren't going to kill her we should at least remove her ovaries. People like that don't need to be reproducing.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by ceebz

Isn't twelve a little young to be "babysitting" a 17-month-old baby?

Yes.

I think its fine for a 12 year old to baby sit for a limited amount of time as long as they have shown to be responsible. IN fact, im sure it goes on alot.

But a 12 year old should not be watching kids younger than 3 or 4 IMO.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by ceebz

Isn't twelve a little young to be "babysitting" a 17-month-old baby?

Absolutely. The parents caused this.

[Eleazar]

A 12 year old babysitting? That's insane.

[Pushead2]

Get Jack McCoy on this.

[InChiefsHeaven]

My daughter babysat when she was 12...she went to classes for it and everything. She never had any problems, and certainly never beat a child to death with a baseball bat.

Of course, all the people she babysat for knew us very well, and we had her go through the classes to learn CPR and all that good stuff. Worked out well.

[Braincase]

Any note on whether the kid is part of Britney Spears extended family?

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Cochise

A 12 year old babysitting? That's insane.

I once babysat a toddler at that age. His mother assured me that the little bastard was fully potty-trained and OF COURSE he crapped all over himself. Oh that was horrible.