COLORADO CHILD AGED 11 TO BE CHARGED WITH MURDERING HIS FIVE-YEAR-OLD BROTHER AT FAMILY'S HOME

A Colorado boy is facing a first-degree murder charge after being arrested over the death of his five-year-old brother. 

The unidentified 11-year-old is currently in custody after deputies with the Araphoe County Sheriff's Office were called to an address in the Denver suburb of Centennial on Tuesday. 

The older brother is now under investigation for his murder, the sheriff's office said on Wednesday. 

It remains unclear at this time what led up to the death of the boy, whose name has not yet been released. A cause of death has not been disclosed. 

Under Colorado law the suspect cannot be prosecuted as an adult, with the minimum age for a juvenile to be transferred to an adult court set at 12. 

The case would remain in the state's juvenile justice system where sentencing options are different from adult courts. 

The sheriff's office said the investigation remains ongoing, with images captured by CBS emerging of the scene being searched on Wednesday. 

Araphoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said: 'Our hearts go out to the family of these two young boys and to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss.

'Cases involving the homicide of children are among the most difficult our deputies and investigators face. 

'Our team is fully committed to a thorough investigation, and we will continue working tirelessly to determine exactly what happened. 

'We know tragedies like this impact not only the family, but also classmates, teachers, and neighbors throughout the community. 

'We appreciate the support and patience of the public as our investigators work to gather the facts and pursue justice in this case.'

Timberline Elementary Principal Mary Bowens said in a letter to parents: 'It is with great sadness that I want to share with you that one of our Kindergarten students has died unexpectedly.

'There is currently an active police investigation and law enforcement asked the District not to release the student’s name.'

The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said: 'Under Colorado law, court records for juvenile cases are not public, with limited exceptions - such as when a juvenile is charged as an adult.

'In this particular case, however, the matter is being heard in Juvenile Court. As a result, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is legally prohibited from releasing information related to the case beyond confirming the official filing charge, which we have not yet done. We anticipate filing formal charges within the next week.'

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2026-03-12T14:12:32Z