Helen Novak, a 90-year-old Pennsylvania woman, has reportedly been killed by 10-years-old Tristen Kurilla after she yelled at him for entering her room on Saturday.
The fifth grader, who later confessed to the crime, told Honesdale Police that he "pulled Novak down on the bed and held a cane on her throat and then punched her numerous times" with it.
"The boy then went to his grandfather and told him that Novak was bleeding from her mouth", according to Poconorecord.
Reports indicate that the boy was visiting his grandfather, Anthony Virbitsky, who worked for Novak as a caretaker in her Tyler Hill residence.
Shortly after Virbitsky had checked on Helen Novak, she died. Virbitsky then asked Tristen if he had done anything to her, the boy is reported to have initially denied, but later confessed to his grandfather about strangling and punching the elderly woman, saying he only wanted to hurt her.
Martha Virbitsky, the boy's mother, took him to the police state barracks in Honesdale later that day where she reiterated what Tristen had told her. She said he lost temper and acted in anger.
State Trooper John Decker has met with the boy and his mother to discuss the circumstances that led to Novak's death.
State police are charging the 10-years-old boy - like an adult - with criminal homicide. Meanwhile, an autopsy performed by Dr. Gary Ross at Wayne Memorial Hospital has concluded that Helen Novak's death was caused by blunt force trauma to the neck.
"Under Pennsylvania law it is mandatory, it is not discretionary that a criminal be first directly filed in adult court by the prosecutor regardless of the age of the perpetrator," said D.A Edwards.
The boy, who attends a Damascus Elementary School, is currently being held without bail at the Wayne County Correctional Facility. He is due for court on Oct. 22nd.
"Tristen really kind of doesn't have an idea of what is going on," said his lawyer Bernie Brown, who has also filed a petition to get the boy released on bail. .
Helen Novak's death in Pennsylvania" is a horrible tragedy, but it's shocking that he suddenly turned into an adult because of conduct that he engaged in," Marsha Levick, Chief Counsel of the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia has said.
