Updated

The mother of an 8-year-old boy who police say was killed during an assault on his sister says the attacker carried the bloodied girl home and blamed someone else.

Sharain Spruill says the 16-year-old boy told her the attacker was a white man. The teenager and the siblings are black. The teen was charged with murder and strangulation over the weekend.

Spruill says her daughter was crying when the teenager brought her home and told her that her little brother Martin Cobb was dead.

Spruill talked about last week's attack outside her Richmond home Monday, shortly after a closed hearing for the teenager. His name has not been released.

Family and friends say are hailing Martin as a hero, saying he tried to protect his big sister.