CLEVELAND — This Monday, the trial will begin for the now 10-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl accused of horrifically abusing, including sexually assaulting, a 5-year-old girl last September.
We want to warn you: some of what you are about to read may be disturbing.
A year later, the emotional wounds still have not healed and the pain remains for Antavia Kennibrew and her now 6-year-old daughter.
“She still tries to be like somewhat of the light that she was before, but she struggles a lot,” Kennibrew said. “When she gets angry, that's the first thing she says. She wants to hurt herself.”
It was Sept. 13, 2025, when everything changed. Police say Kennibrew's 5-year-old daughter was taken into a wooded area in the 1000 block of East 148th Street by a then-10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, where she endured sexual assault and other acts too disturbing to describe.
“She just doesn’t deserve what they did to her and it sucks that shes got to go throughout life and just pick up certain things that happened to her.”
Kennibrew continued, “Like just a normal day, and you just hear your baby say…. 'Mommy, you know those kids hurt me in the field', just how do you just normalize that?' ”
Both children face multiple charges, including attempted murder, rape, felonious assault, kidnapping and strangulation. We were there as they were arraigned. Kennibrew says every court hearing has been difficult, especially being in the same room as the children accused of hurting her daughter.
“It was horrible, just being in court with them. Period. The laughing, the taunting it’s horrible.” Kennibrew continued, “You don't get no remorse for what you did. Like, how can you sleep? Like, how can you be okay with knowing you almost took somebody's life? It's hard. It's really hard.”
Monday, both children will be tried together, a day Kennibrew says she has been waiting for.
“I want to see those kids get the maximum sentence,”Kennibrew added. “I want them to feel guilty and guilty every day. I want them to not have no happy days. I want them to wake up and feel how my baby has to feel.”
Kennibrew is hopes the trail will deliver the justice she and her daughter deserve.
“Y’all could have killed my baby, if it wasn't for God and his grace, I would not have my daughter right now. That's what I need them to understand. This is not normal, and this is not okay,” said Kennibrew.
But beyond justice, Kennibrew she is searching for something deeper: peace. We asked what moving forward looks like for her and her family once the trial is over.
“It looks healing. I'm just ready for us to be able to heal and just I’m so I know I'm going to keep having a fight when it comes to my baby and her healing and her getting the help she need. But when it comes to this, I'm so tired. I am so tired,” said Kennibrew.
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Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
