CLEVELAND — A judge has found an 11-year-old girl delinquent in connection with the assault of a 5-year-old girl a year ago, on charges that include rape, strangulation and attempted murder.
In Ohio's juvenile court system, a finding of delinquency is the equivalent of a guilty verdict in adult court.
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The ruling came after three days of testimony. During the proceedings, the girl's 10-year-old co-defendant testified after previously admitting to charges in the case and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors.
The case now moves to the disposition phase, which is the juvenile court equivalent of sentencing.
A disposition hearing for the 11-year-old is scheduled for a later date. Because the case involves juveniles, state law limits additional details about the children and court proceedings.
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 initially 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.
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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, whom 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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