BALTIMORE – A 12-year-old girl has been charged in the beating death of a 4-year-old family friend, according to police documents.
The girl, whose name was not released, was arrested Friday in the death of Randy Allen Weeks (search), who died Oct. 19, according to police documents obtained by The (Baltimore) Sun.
Police refused to release details about the case, which was one of more than 30 youth homicides in Baltimore this year. At least nine victims have been younger than 10 years old.
"Our prosecutors are confronted with the raw emotion of these tragedies day after day," said Margaret T. Burns, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office. "They are weary from the grief that is shared by the families in our community. They wonder 'Are we losing this battle?"'
Baltimore Health Commissioner Peter Beilenson (search), who leads a panel that reviews unexpected child deaths, said he cannot remember any other recent deaths in which the suspect was a girl.
"However, it does point out that girls are unquestionably becoming more violent," he said, noting charges against several women and girls earlier this year in the brutal beating of a 12-year-old girl at a birthday party.
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