Boy chokes, beats 90-year-old woman to death

A 10-year-old American boy was taken into custody Tuesday after being charged with killing a 90-year-old woman, the Associated Press reported.

Tristen Kurilla confessed to choking and punching Helen Novak, who had been cared for by the boy’s grandfather, because he was angry with her.

Kurilla pressed down on her throat for four to five seconds and punched her in the throat and stomach five times, the report said.

After the beating, Kurilla reportedly told his grandfather that Novak was bleeding from her mouth. The woman reportedly died half an hour later.

The AP reported that the boy confessed the murder to Pennsylvania state police. He said that he was “mad at Novak for yelling at him” and that he did not intend to kill the woman.

An autopsy showed physical damage to the victim’s neck, consistent with the boy’s statement.

The AP quoted the boy’s mother as saying he “has some mental difficulties.”

The boy is being detained at Wayne County Correctional Facility.