TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — A 15-year-old from River Oaks has been sentenced to 20 years in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for the 2021 beating death of his 6-year-old cousin, officials say.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office said on Aug. 18, 2021, the then 12-year-old boy, beat his 6-year-old cousin to death with a baseball bat by "smashing" her in the head.
When police officers arrived at the scene to administer aid to the child, they were too late and she was pronounced dead at a Fort Worth hospital, officials said.
The Tarrant County DA’s Office said during a hearing the teen admitted to killing his cousin and asked the judge to determine his sentence. The name of the teen is being withheld because he’s still a minor, officials said.
“Thanks to the River Oaks Police Department for their work on this case and for their commitment to keeping our community safe,” the DA’s office said in a statement after the judge handed down the 20-year sentence.