One of five girls aged 12 to 15 involved in the beating death of disabled Reggie Brown, 64, of Washington, D.C., will be behind bars until she is 21 years old, reports say.
The 13-year-old was sentenced to roughly seven years in prison Wednesday, according to FOX 5 DC. She apologized in court prior to being sentenced, the local TV station said.
"It saddens me that these young girls could be so brutal and do something so severe," Malda Brown, one of the victim's sisters, said in court during sentencing. "I'm just grateful that the judge did give them the time that D.C. commits until to 21, so we are grateful for that. It'll make my mom feel so much better once we get home to let her know that that did take place."
"DYRS is letting these kids back out with no consequences, in and out the door and get slapped on the wrist and come back out and do the same thing again. Committing more violent crimes? I mean it's sad that our children have to be incarcerated, but it's also sad that the danger that they pose to the community - what they do to people and the things that they do to people," another one of Brown's sisters, Nasia Israel, said, according to FOX 5. "My brother didn't deserve that. Nobody deserves that."
FAMILY OF DISABLED DC MAN REGGIE BROWN CALLS FOR CHILD SUSPECTS IN DEADLY BEATING TO BE CHARGED AS ADULTS
Back in October, one of the teen suspects testified after pleading guilty that she and the other suspects committed the assault because they "were bored" and looking for something to do when Brown was attacked in October 2023.
The Metropolitan Police Department said officers responded to the 6200 block of Georgia Avenue just before 1 a.m. Oct. 17, 2023 because of a report of a man down. Upon arrival, officers found Brown with trauma consistent with an assault. He died at the scene.
DISABLED DC MAN BEATEN TO DEATH ON VIDEO, 3 YOUNG GIRLS ARRESTED
The oldest suspect, a 15-year-old, was sentenced to three years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon after pleading guilty along with two of the other suspects. She had testified that it was her idea to attack the man, whose family said he was frail and had battled cancer shortly before his death.
At about 11 p.m., the group of girls walked toward Georgia Avenue and Sheridan Street in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
When they reached the intersection, the girl said, they came across an unknown man who was already attacking Brown as he was lying on the ground. The 15-year-old testified that she asked the man if they could help beat up Brown, and he agreed to let them.
Then, she told the court, they began chasing Brown, who attempted to flee as the man was speaking to the teens.
The local Washington, D.C., CBS station reported the prosecutor asked the 15-year-old if she realized what they had done.
"Do you remember what you were thinking when you walked back to the alley," prosecutor Gabrielle LoGaglio asked the teenager.
"He's dead," she responded.
Fox News' Greg Wehner and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.
