Just as his trial was set to begin Monday, a 10-year-old boy pleaded guilty to attempted rape and felonious assault for his role in an attack on a 5-year-old girl last year in Cleveland.
He is set to appear in court on Nov. 20 for sentencing.
RELATED: Mother seeks justice after 5-year-old daughter allegedly beaten, sexually abused
The court discussed possible consequences the boy could face, such as a commitment to a private residence, a fine, community control or probation.
His co-defendant, a now 11-year-old girl, is still expected in court Monday.
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RELATED: 10-year-old girl accused of attacking 5-year-old arraigned
The charges
On Oct. 15, 2025, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office announced that the then 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy were charged with allegedly assaulting the 5-year-old girl in a wooded area off East 148th Street in September 2025.
They were charged with:
- One count of attempted murder
- Four counts of rape
- Two counts of felonious assault
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of strangulation
The other charges the boy was facing were dropped amid his plea change.
RELATED:
- 9-year-old boy accused of attacking 5-year-old arraigned
- 10-year-old girl accused of attacking 5-year-old arraigned
What happened?
The 5-year-old's mother, Antavia Kennibrew, said she dropped her daughter off at a family member's home on Sept. 13, 2025. Later that day, she received a phone call saying her daughter had left the house on her own and was missing.
A police report stated that a witness saw three juveniles, who police previously said in a statement were all under the age of 10, take her to a wooded area in the 1000 block of East 148th Street and physically and sexually assault her.
The specifics of the assault are too disturbing to share, but details in the police report support Kennibrew's claim that her daughter was viciously attacked.
Kennibrew said she met her daughter after the incident in an ambulance, and the girl was unconscious and covered in dirt, blood and bruises.
The Cleveland Division of Police Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit investigated the case.
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