helen novak pennsylvania: 10-year-old boy charged with killing elderly woman (PHOTO)

A ten year old boy has been criminally charged for the murder of a ninety year old woman. The grisly murder took place in The Damascus Township in Pennsylvania. Initial reports state that the boy was visiting his grandfather on the morning of October 11th. The ten year old went into a bedroom which was the residence of Helen Novak. Helen Novak was being cared for by the boy’s grandfather, and the ninety year old was reported to have been in weak but stable condition.When the boy went into the room, Helen Novak was reported to have yelled at him. The boy took a cane that belonged to Helen Novak, and pushed it down on her throat. The boy then hit Helen several times. Following the beating, the young man went to his grandfather in order to tell him about what he had done. The grandfather went to the bedroom to find that Helen was bleeding. Helen Novak later passed away, and Pennsylvania state troopers were called to the home to retrieve the body.

An autopsy was done on the body, and the coroner’s office reports that she had suffered injuries that were consistent with the reported beating. This included signs of blunt force trauma to her throat and heat, which was the injury that killed her.

An arrest warrant was issued for the arrest of the boy on the morning on the fourteen, and he surrendered with his mother later that day. The boy has been charged with aggravated assault and criminal homicide. He is being held without bail, and a preliminary hearing will be held on the 22nd of October. The boy is being charged as an adult in this case, which is rare given his extremely young age. However, there are cases of younger persons than ten being tried for murder.

According to the Times-Tribune, Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards said that Tristen was charged as an adult because juveniles aren’t allowed to be charged with homicide in Pennsylvania. The 10-year-old also faces aggravated assault charges as an adult. Tristen’s mother said the boy “had a history of ‘mental difficulties.'”

Tristen is being held in Wayne County Prison without bail. He’s due in court on October 22, when he can petition to have his case moved to juvenile court.