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Tag Archives: 10yearold
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who provided abortion to 10-year-old rape victim, sues Indiana attorney general
Washington — Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio, is suing Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, alleging he has relied on “baseless” consumer complaints to launch “overbroad” investigations into physicians who provide abortion care, and issued subpoenas seeking the confidential medical records of their patients.
The lawsuit, filed by lawyer Kathleen DeLaney on behalf of Bernard and her medical partner Dr. Amy Caldwell in Indiana Commercial Court in Marion County, claims Rokita opened investigations into seven consumer complaints filed against Bernard after she came under scrutiny for performing the medication-induced abortion on June 30, days after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade.
Bernard was thrust into the national spotlight after she told the Indianapolis Star that a child abuse doctor in Ohio had called her about the pregnant 10-year-old, who was seeking an abortion out of state due to Ohio’s near-total abortion ban. A man was arrested and charged with rape two weeks later. Ohio’s abortion law, which bans the procedure once an embryonic heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, took effect after the Supreme Court issued its decision overturning Roe.
In an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell in July, Bernard couldn’t confirm she provided the abortion due to privacy laws, but state records confirmed that she did, and her suit filed Thursday references her “providing abortion care to this patient.”
After opening investigations into the complaints, Bernard’s lawyers said Rokita and Scott Barnhart, director of the Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general’s office, issued “sweepingly broad document subpoenas” in August to a hospital system seeking the full medical file of the child. The subpoenas, they wrote, “serve no legitimate investigative purpose.”
“The attorney general’s and director’s improper conduct dissuades patients who need emergency abortions from seeking care,” they told the court. “It also threatens patients seeking legal abortions that their most personal and private medical records and health care decisions could be exposed as part of a meritless investigation.”
In addition to the investigations into Bernard, the suit claims Rokita also launched a probe into Caldwell’s actions in May on the basis of a consumer complaint filed based on a “termination of pregnancy report,” required for all abortions performed in the state, that was obtained through an open records request.
In late July, Rokita served Caldwell with a subpoena for all medical records relating to the patient identified in the report, and, in October, issued a subpoena to a local health care clinic seeking medical records for the same patient. Neither Caldwell nor the patient were notified of the subpoena.
Bernard’s lawyers said they are aware of at least five subpoenas issued by Rokita’s office, but believe there could be more as they’re being sent to the entities that may have medical records.
“The attorney general’s overreach in seeking these irrelevant medical records poses a significant threat to patient privacy and the confidentiality of medical records,” they said. “Because they lack notice of the document subpoenas, physicians like Drs. Bernard and Caldwell cannot take steps to ensure their patients’ most confidential and personal information is protected.”
Bernard and Caldwell are asking the court to block Rokita and his office from initiating investigations without assessing the merit of each consumer complaint, and to block the attorney general from issuing subpoenas in connection to an investigation based on a consumer complaint without determining whether it has merit.
Kelly Stevenson, a spokesperson for Rokita, said the attorney general’s office investigates “thousands” of potential licensing, privacy and other violations each year, as obligated by state law.
“A majority of the complaints we receive are, in fact, from nonpatients. Any investigations that arise as a result of potential violations are handled in a uniform manner and narrowly focused,” Stevenson said in a statement to CBS News. “We will discuss this particular matter further through the judicial filings we make.”
After Bernard’s involvement became public over the summer, top Republicans accused her of lying about the incident, and Rokita pledged to investigate whether she violated state law, which requires doctors to report abortions performed on patients younger than 16 within three days of the procedure. Referring to Bernard as an “abortion activist acting as a doctor,” Rokita said he had sought documents proving Bernard complied with Indiana requirements and said that her licensure could be affected if she failed to do so.
Records obtained by CBS News, and cited in the lawsuit, show Bernard submitted the required termination of pregnancy report on July 2, two days after she performed the abortion on the 10-year-old. Communications that accompanied the report included information showing that Bernard was cooperating with authorities investigating the rape of the girl, according to the court filing.
A 27-year-old Ohio man was arrested and charged with the rape in mid-July, and police said he confessed to the crime. A detective with the Columbus, Ohio, police testified that law enforcement learned of the girl’s pregnancy through a referral her mother made to Franklin County Children Services on June 22, and the abortion was performed in Indianpolis on June 30.
The lawsuit from Bernard and Caldwell accuses Rokita of launching his investigations — and subsequently issuing subpoenas — on the basis of “frivolous” complaints, in violation of Indiana’s statutory framework for investigating consumer complaints against licensed medical providers.
Seven people filed the consumer complaints against Bernard between July 8 and July 12, according to the suit, days after she was revealed as the doctor who performed the abortion on the Ohio girl. Many were submitted by people who did not purport to live in Indiana, and all said they saw news stories or social media posts about Bernard’s patient.
“The face of the consumer complaints showed the allegations to be based on rumor, hearsay, or speculation,” Bernard’s lawyers wrote.
In one complaint, in a section seeking “incident details,” one individual wrote Bernard “kept knowledge of the rape of a 10 year old from authorities,” suggesting she failed to comply with Indiana’s reporting requirement, according to a copy cited in the lawsuit. The person also included vague contact information for Bernard, listing her street address as “U of I” and phone number as a series of fives.
Another complaint referenced Bernard’s television appearances with a link to an MSNBC interview and wrote that “as a citizen of Ohio I feel that this misinformation (aka LIE) harmed my state’s image and is a malicious act intended to harm people such as myself that hold a pro-life position.”
The unidentified complainant continued: “I have personally experienced hostility against me with specific mention of Dr. Bernard’s interviews and her claim of a 10 year old Ohio girl being forced to have an abortion in Bernard’s Indiana clinic. If I am continued to be harrassed in this manner I will be filing a personal injury case against Dr. Bernard.”
Also included in the filing was a photo showing online search results about the abortion, with red flags pointing to Bernard’s name, according to the lawsuit.
In a third complaint cited in Bernard’s suit, the filer is asked “what was the very first contact between you and the individual/business,” and, next to the box checked “other,” wrote “reported in the US media and president of the United States.”
“These consumer complaints were facially valid and no reasonable prosecutor could determine they have merit,” Bernard’s lawyers wrote.
Additional complaints that gave rise to investigations by the Indiana attorney general’s office included one that was based on “news stories” that claimed Bernard “failed to report sexual abuse in a child,” and another that stated, without naming Bernard, that “doctor did not report rape of 10 year brought to indy from Ohio foe [sic] abortion.” The complainant listed herself as the entity the complaint was filed against and provided a phone number of “317,” according to the court filing.
“The attorney general and director opened multiple investigations into Dr. Bernard despite the obvious deficiencies in all the consumer complaints and the fact that publicly available information indicated that the complaints were frivolous,” Bernard’s lawyers argued, citing the termination of pregnancy report she filed, consistent with Indiana law.
Indiana became the first state to pass a near-total ban on abortion after the Supreme Court’s decision ending the constitutional right to an abortion. The state legislature in August approved the law, which includes exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. The ban took effect Sept. 15, but the Indiana Supreme Court blocked its enforcement after abortion providers challenged the measure in state court, arguing it violates the state constitution.
Bear mauls 10-year-old in grandparents’ Connecticut backyard
Officers from the state police and DEEP’s environmental conservation force responded and shot the bear, authorities said.
The boy’s grandfather described the harrowing attack to the Republican-American of Waterbury. James Butler said his grandson was playing near a trampoline when the bear emerged from thick woods behind the house.
“I heard him yell ‘bear’ and when I looked up, I saw his leg in the bear’s mouth and the bear trying to drag him across the lawn,” Butler said.
Butler, who uses a wheelchair, wheeled his chair toward the bear and threw a metal bar at its head, he told the newspaper.
The bear released the boy but then grabbed the child a second time and used its claws to try to roll the boy onto his back, the grandfather said.
A neighbor alerted by the boy’s screams raced over and scared the bear off by brandishing a pipe and yelling, Butler said.
Once Butler and his grandson were safely inside the house, the bear returned, walking up a wheelchair ramp and peering at them through screen door, Butler said.
“We thought he was coming through the screen,” Butler said. “No doubt he was a big threat.”
The bear was fatally shot by police a short time later.
Butler, and his wife, Christina Anderson, who was inside the house when the bear attacked, said the boy suffered a puncture wound to one thigh, bite marks on a foot and ankle and claw marks on his back.
State biologist Jenny Dixon said the risk of negative bear-human interactions is increasing as Connecticut’s expanding bear population becomes acclimated to humans and develops a taste for their food.
Mom of 10-year-old Ohio girl who got abortion defends rapist
The mother of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who crossed state lines to get an abortion has defended her daughter’s 27-year-old confessed rapist — who was wrongly listed as a minor during the medical visit, according to reports.
The mom spoke to Telemundo while hiding behind the door of the Columbus apartment that was also listed as the home of rapist Gerson Fuentes, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.
“She’s my daughter,” the mom, who refused to give a name, confirmed to Telemundo of the girl who would have been just 9 when she was abused and impregnated.
“She’s fine. Everything that they’re saying against him is a lie,” she insisted of Fuentes, who confessed during police interviews to raping the youngster at least twice, according to court records and officials.
The defensive mom, who hid her face when speaking to Telemundo in Spanish, insisted that she had not been the one to file charges against her young daughter’s abuser.
The shocking case came to light when the girl was taken across state lines to terminate the pregnancy in Indiana on June 30, with President Biden highlighting it as proof of the evils of anti-abortion legislation.
However, despite Fuentes being 27, the person listed as getting the girl pregnant was described as a minor in the report her abortionist sent to authorities, according to Fox News Digital, which obtained a copy.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard listed the rapist as being approximately 17 in her official filing to the Indiana Department of Health, the outlet said.
It was not immediately clear if Fuentes was identified in the document. Fox only said it showed how Bernard reported performing a non-surgical abortion for a 6-weeks-pregnant 10-year-old girl of Mexican ethnicity on June 30.
Bernard was the one who then highlighted the tragic case in an interview with the Indy Star on July 1.
The doctor’s attorney, Kathleen DeLaney, insisted that Bernard “took every appropriate and proper action in accordance with the law and both her medical and ethical training as a physician.”
“She followed all relevant policies, procedures and regulations in this case, just as she does every day to provide the best possible care for her patients,” she told Fox.
DeLaney also said they are “considering legal action against those who have smeared my client, including Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita,” who is investigating Bernard’s actions.
Fuentes was busted Tuesday, and is being held on $2 million bond after being charged with felony rape of a minor under 13 years old in the case. He is scheduled back in court next Friday.
“My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.
“I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street,” he said.
Gerson Fuentes was charged in the rape of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion
Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested on Tuesday, according to Columbus police and court documents. He has been charged with felony rape of a minor under the age of 13 years old, according to the Franklin County Municipal Court. His first appearance in court was Wednesday, according to the court.
CNN has reached out to Fuentes’ attorney for comment.
Police were first alerted to the child’s pregnancy in late June through a referral by a local children services department that was made by the 10-year-old’s mother, Det. Jeffrey Huhn testified in Fuentes’ arraignment on Wednesday.
Fuentes admitted to authorities that he raped the young girl on at least two occasions, Huhn testified.
The 10-year-old girl underwent a medical abortion in Indianapolis on June 30, the detective testified. Huhn said that DNA from the Indianapolis clinic was being tested against samples from Fuentes and the child’s siblings.
Fuentes is being held on $2 million bond, according to the court. His next appearance is July 22, court documents show.
In a Wednesday statement, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, “My heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child.”
“I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in securing a confession and getting a rapist off the street,” Yost said. “Justice must be served and (the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation) stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio putting these criminals behind bars.”
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, an Ohio law banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy went into effect.
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis-based obstetrician-gynecologist, previously told CNN that after being contacted by a child abuse doctor in neighboring Ohio, she recently helped a 10-year-old girl have an abortion in Indiana. The young girl was six weeks and three days into the pregnancy, Bernard told CNN.
The doctor said she saw an immediate influx of patients seeking abortions in Indiana, particularly from bordering states Kentucky and Ohio, which passed laws severely limiting abortion care following the Supreme Court decision.
The Columbus Dispatch newspaper was first to report on the case and arrest. The Columbus Police Department would not immediately provide additional details on the arrest.
“Out of compassion for victims we will not comment on any rapes of juveniles,” Columbus police spokesperson Sgt. Joe Albert told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Ohio Attorney General, Franklin County Child Services and an Indiana-based abortion provider for additional details.
Kristi Noem defends South Dakota’s abortion ‘trigger’ ban when asked if 10-year-old should be forced to give birth
When asked by CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” whether children similar to a 10-year-old child abuse victim who traveled from Ohio to Indiana to receive an abortion should be forced to give birth, Noem said, “This tragedy is horrific. I can’t even imagine. I have never had anybody in my family or myself gone through anything like this. … But, in South Dakota, the law today is that the abortions are illegal, except to save the life of the mother.”
Noem told Bash she would not be in favor of amending the current law — a so-called trigger law that took effect following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — to add an exception for similar situations, saying, “I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy.”
But Noem did signal that a 10-year-old in the described situation may qualify for the state exception for life-threatening medical emergencies.
“I think that’s something that — yeah, that situation, the doctor, the family, the individuals closest to that will make the decisions there for that family,” she told Bash.
“That’s what’s interesting about the time we live in right now,” Noem added. “Every state will have different laws on the books. The decisions will be made by the legislators that are closest to the people. That’s appropriate. It’s the way our Constitution intended.”
The US Supreme Court’s recent majority ruling that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion has led more states to implement their own abortion policies. The ruling has already resulted in a patchwork system — as was anticipated — in which access to the procedure is, for many people, determined largely by whether a state is controlled by Republicans or Democrats.
Along with South Dakota, trigger abortion laws have been implemented in at least three states: Arkansas, Missouri and Wisconsin. A Mississippi trigger law is set to take effect on July 7.
Wyoming, North Dakota, Idaho, and Tennessee are awaiting state action, and legal fights over abortion restrictions are underway in more than a dozen states.
Noem was also asked Sunday about supporting paid family leave or greater financial access to child care.
“That’s a discussion we’re going to have. I think it’s important that we back up exactly what I have been saying since I’m governor, that we want stronger families,” she told Bash. “Many times, it’s the financial cost, the medical cost and the leave policy that many people have a tough time supporting. But I think, in South Dakota, that the time is right.”
Noem, however, said she does not back expanding Medicaid, which is on the state’s ballot in November. The measure would cover low-income women without health insurance in South Dakota during and after pregnancy.
CNN’s Devan Cole and Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.
10-year-old Orlando girl arrested, accused of shooting woman arguing with her mom
At one point in the fight, the second woman, 31-year-old Lakrisha Isaac, handed her daughter a purse that contained a pistol, according to the affidavit. As the altercation continued, police say, the 10-year-old fired two shots, striking Rodgers in the head.
A witness told police Isaac yelled, “You done shot the lady!” Then the witness heard the child scream: “You shouldn’t have messed with my momma!”
Rodgers died in the shooting, which has left prosecutors grappling with how to proceed because of the suspect’s age.
“This shooting is an unimaginable tragedy that defies easy solutions,” Florida Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique H. Worrell said in a statement Tuesday. “Our office will proceed with care, and our primary focus will be on doing whatever we can to support Ms. Rodgers’s family, protect the public, and improve the health of this child going forward.”
The girl — who hasn’t been publicly named because of her age — was reportedly arrested Tuesday and could face a charge of second-degree murder, according to ClickOrlando.com, although Worrell made clear that prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will proceed with a case against her. Isaac, who’s still in custody, is also facing a slew of charges, including manslaughter by culpable negligence, aggravated assault with a firearm, child neglect and negligent storage of a firearm, according to an arrest affidavit.
Latisha George, Isaac’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post early Wednesday. It’s not immediately clear whether a lawyer is representing Isaac’s 10-year-old daughter.
The Memorial Day celebration was cut short by the fatal altercation shortly before midnight on May 30. After the 10-year-old allegedly fired the gun, Isaac took the weapon from the girl and “showed no remorse or care for the injury sustained by Rodgers” as Isaac and her daughter walked back to their residence, police wrote in the affidavit.
When officials arrived, they “observed a pool of blood on the ground and two spent shell casings.” Rodgers was transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, but she died shortly after midnight. Police then tried to piece together the story by interviewing neighbors, the little girl and her mother.
The child told officers her mother “wanted to approach [Rodgers] to speak ‘woman to woman,’ ” according to the affidavit. She said she had seen Rodgers cut her mother’s head with a rock during the fight, though Isaac later told police she hadn’t been struck or cut. The girl added that she had heard Rodgers threatening to “bring her family to jump” Isaac.
“When [the 10-year-old] heard this, she said she became angry, due to having anger issues,” the affidavit states. “She shot one time and saw Rodgers fall down. [The girl] knew she struck Rodgers in the head and stated she was aware Rodgers was deceased after the shooting.”
In the community, the shooting — compounded by the alleged involvement of a child — has reverberated deeply.
The shooting took place just days after the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said a 2-year-old fatally shot his dad. The toddler’s mother was charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon.
A vase filled with pink flowers, a candle, a cross and a slew of messages mark the spot where Rodgers, also known as “Bones,” was shot and killed. The night of her death, Rodgers’s family and friends gathered at that makeshift memorial, ClickOrlando.com reported, to grieve the loss of “an awesome woman,” her best friend, Stacey Johnson, told the outlet.
“I know multiple constituents who personally knew both the young girl and [Rodgers],” Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill said, according to the news site. “And everyone’s heart is broken.”
The girl’s age and the circumstances leading to Rodgers’s death will be taken into account when making a charging decision, Worrell, the state attorney, said in her statement. Whatever the decision, she wrote, it “will ensure she receives the interventions necessary to address her behavior, help her change and grow, and ensure the public’s safety going forward.”
“This is one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my 22-year career,” Worrell added.
Mugshot released for 10-year-old Daniel Isaac Marquez after threat to shoot up Florida school
Florida authorities Monday released the mugshot and arrest footage of a 10-year-old boy accused of threatening to shoot up his school, with the local sheriff calling the move just desserts for a suspected criminal.
“I did a campaign: Fake threat, real consequence,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told W Radio in Colombia. “While I understand the boy is 10 years old, his brain’s not fully developed, he’s a juvenile, I have to tell you: When a 10-year-old presses a trigger, the aftermath is the same regardless of the age.”
The sheriff’s office posted video to Facebook showing Daniel Isaac Marquez — a fifth-grader at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral — being arrested Saturday for the alleged text-message threat, which was forwarded to deputies by a tipster May 28.
Daniel was shown being led off with his hands cuffed behind his back while dressed in blue Crocs and a camouflage, hooded, zip-up sweatshirt and matching shorts.
Marceno spoke about the baby-faced suspect to W Radio, saying Daniel told a friend in a text message about “wads of cash” and to “get ready” for him to carry out the mass shooting.
“I scammed my friend,” the boy allegedly wrote in the text, which included a Google image of money, according to an arrest report.
Daniel then allegedly shared an image of four assault rifles he said he bought and told his buddy to “get ready for water day” — referencing a recent school-sponsored event in which students participate in water activities.
“We don’t wait 1 second,” Marceno said of looking into the boy’s threat. “We investigate every threat as if it’s real.
“We have zero tolerance,” he said. “Our children are going to be safe no matter what.
“So, what we need to do is, I beg the parents to sit with your children … We need to do everything we can as a team to prevent these types of issues and not ignore the red flags.”
The boy was charged as a juvenile with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting, Marceno said.
Later in the interview, Marceno spelled out his department’s response to a would-be school shooter.
“You don’t get to come into one of my schools in my county and present deadly force,” Marceno said. “Because we meet deadly force with deadly force, without one second, without hesitation. If you think you’re going to come and kill a child, a teacher or a faculty member, think again — we will kill you immediately.”
The pint-size perp was arrested one day before a Florida man, Corey Anderson, 18, was busted Sunday at a home in Lutz after making an online threat while posting photos of himself with what appeared to be a rifle, handgun and tactical-style vest, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The chilling photo was accompanied by a caption that read, “Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school,” authorities said.
Investigators later determined the handgun and rifle in Anderson’s photo were airsoft guns, which shoot pellets rather than bullets.
The twin threats in Florida came just days after a gunman stormed into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, with a pair of AR-15-style rifles and killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers on Tuesday. The massacre was the deadliest school shooting since 26 people — including 20 students — were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December 2012.
10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza identified by her father as victim in Uvalde shooting
Less than two miles away from Robb Elementary School, where at least 19 children and two adults were killed by a mass shooter on Tuesday, the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center has become the epicenter for families looking for their children.
For more than 12 hours, families gathered in silence outside the center — which was serving as a polling place for the runoff election on Tuesday — waiting for updates.
At least four families told CNN that parents had been asked for DNA swabs to confirm their relationship with their children and instructed to wait for an hour for an answer.
A father, who had just received the news that his child was dead, fought back tears as several of his cousins embraced him.
A few yards away, a grandmother who had driven from San Antonio said she would not stop praying for her 10-year-old granddaughter as they waited for the results of the DNA swabs.
Inside the civic center, city workers were handing out pizza, snacks and water to families. Some parents waited in silence or were sobbing quietly as a group of children sat on the floor playing with teddy bears. Later, a group of local pastors and chaplains arrived to offer their support to the families.
Zinna Aguilera, a 61-year-old bookkeeper who lives in front of the elementary school, said she first learned about the shooting when a friend called her, asking if her granddaughter stayed home on Tuesday.
“It’s sad. You would have never imagined that this was going to happen in Uvalde, Texas. I’ve lived here 32 years, I went to this school, my sisters, my brothers, my grandkids, my daughters, everybody. If you lived in this area, you went to this school,” Aguilera says.
People in this largely Hispanic neighborhood sat outside their homes after the shooting, some with their families while others gathered with neighbors.
“We’ve been in this neighborhood forever, We have cousins, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews who live in the same streets or within a couple of blocks,” Aguilera said.
Across the street from the school, Adolfo Cruz waited for word about his 10-year-old granddaughter.
The 69-year-old air conditioning contractor answered calls from worried family members and friends while watching local and state law enforcement officers walk inside the school building.
Cruz, a cancer survivor, said he couldn’t lose hope but questioned how no school resource officers were able to stop the shooter from walking into the campus.
“Where were they (officers)? How did he get across the school fence?” Cruz said.
Adela Martinez and her husband Paul Martinez, a former city council member and former furniture store owner, spoke about the grief spreading across this town of 16,000 people.
“We are like a big family here. You can expect something like this (shooting) in big cities like New York, but in Uvalde? If this happened here, now I believe it can happen anywhere,” Adela Martinez said.
Lily Peters death latest news: Juvenile suspect known to 10-year-old is arrested in murder investigation
Police continue homicide investigation of 10-year-old girl
Police in Chippewa Falls have arrested a juvenile suspect in connection to the murder of 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters.
Chief Matthew Kelm announced the arrest in a press conference on Tuesday evening, where he would not disclose the name, gender or age of the suspect but said they were known to the murdered schoolgirl.
Police executed a search warrant at the home in North Grove Street where the 10-year-old was believed to have last been seen alive.
Following the search, the suspect was taken into custody, the police chief said.
Lily was reported missing around 9pm on Sunday night when she failed to return to her home on nearby East Birch Street from her aunt’s house on North Grove Street.
The schoolgirl’s bike was found close by hours later.
Then, at around 9.15am on Monday morning, Lily’s body was discovered in a nearby wooded area close to a walking trail by the Leinenkugel Brewing Company.
Lily’s cause of death is yet to be confirmed but investigators are treating it as a homicide.
The police chief said that there is no further danger to the public.
ICYMI: Police arrest juvenile suspect known to Lily Peters in connection to her homicide case
A juvenile who is believed to have killed 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters has been arrested on suspicion of her murder following a search of her aunt’s home, according to authorities.
Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm announced in a press conference on Tuesday evening that the suspect was taken into custody earlier that evening and that there is no longer any danger to the public.
The police chief said that the suspect is “not a stranger” but was “known” to the murdered 10-year-old.
The suspect’s name, gender and age was not revealed and Chief Kelm would not confirm if the individual is a relative of Lily’s.
The arrest came after police executed a search warrant at 422 North Grove Street in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and evidence was collected from the property, he said.
The address is the home of Lily’s aunt and is where the 10-year-old was believed to have last been seen alive on Sunday.
My colleague Rachel Sharp has the details.
Namita Singh27 April 2022 06:50
ICYMI: What happened to Lily Peters?
The remains of Iliana “Lily” Peters, who was reported missing on Sunday, were found the following day not far from her aunt’s house in the city of Chippewa Falls.
Lily reportedly visited her aunt’s house on Sunday and left on her bicycle but did not return home from what normally would’ve been a six-minute walk. Her father became worried and called the police at 9pm.
Police searched for Lily late into Sunday night, and eventually located her bike near a wooded area about four blocks from her aunt’s house ,“near the walking trail between the end of N Grove Street and the Leinenkugel’s brewery parking lot,” they said.
Police continued searching for Lily, and went door-to-door to ask neighbours if they had seen her. The Chippewa Falls Police Department eventually called in K9 units and drones to assist in their efforts.
At about 9.15am on Monday morning, police discovered Lily’s remains in a wooded area near the Chippewa Creek walking path and the brewery. The corner’s office later confirmed the remains were of Lily.
Namita Singh27 April 2022 06:33
Chippewa Falls community honors the life of Lily Peters
The Chippewa Valley community has come together in a show of support for the Lily Peters and her family.
To honor her life, they began filling a memorial in front of her school, Parkview Elementary and filled it with purple flowers, stuffed animals and signs calling for justice for Lilly.
The locals have built another memorial near Duncan Creek on Jefferson Avenue, where the body of the 10-year-old was found Monday morning.
Stuffed animals are left at the altar during a prayer vigil for 10-year-old Iliana Peters at Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Monday evening, 25 April 2022
(AP)
“I grew up in this town. I’ve lived here pretty much since I was in kindergarten and I always felt so safe,” Chelsea Torgerson of Chippewa Falls told WQOW.com. “I know these things happen everywhere all over the world every day, but this is way too close to home.”
Namita Singh27 April 2022 05:30
GoFundMe page created for Lily Peters
A GoFundMe page was created for the slain 10-year-old Lily Peters to raise money for her funeral and memorial.
Started by Erin Mc Carthy, a “close family friend of Lily”, the page said “the loss of Lily is devastating” and “although lily is no longer with us her spirit and smiles always will be”.
“This is a very tragic loss and a complete nightmare. All donations will be going to the family of Lily for funeral cost, and memorial also extra expenses that may occur (sic).”
Relatives of Iliana “Lily” Peters comfort each other as they pray together at a vigil for the 10 year-old girl at Valley Vineyard Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on 25 April 2022
(AP)
Namita Singh27 April 2022 05:15
School district offers support to district where Lily Peters was in school
A nearby school district has offered its support to the school district where murdered 10-year-old Lily Peters was a fourth grade student.
In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, Mike Johnson, the superintendent of the Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD) said he had reached out to the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District (CFAUSD) to offer support “through staffing and other resources”.
Mr Johnson also said that support such as counselling is available for ECASD students and staff who may be affected by Lily’s death “due to our proximity to Chippewa Falls” and urged the community to come together during this time.
“As always, please reach out to me or our staff with concerns and questions. Our students, families, staff, and community need to support each other during this difficult time,” the memo said.
Lily was in the fourth grade at Parkview Elementary School, which is part of CFAUSD.
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 05:00
Local residents tie purple ribbons around town in Lily’s honour
On Tuesday afternoon, local residents tied purple ribbons around town in honour of murdered 10-year-old Lily Peters.
Several Chippewa Falls community members were seen attaching the ribbons to lampposts all around the downtown area, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Ingrid Sievers, who owns local parlour Olson’s Ice Cream, tied one to the front of the store as she said the community was “all mourning” the death of the young girl.
“It’s a small town that’s pretty tightknit and I think it was just a shock,” she said.
“We’re just here to show solidarity and love to one another and the family and friends who lost her.”
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 04:20
Public is urged to continue to stay away from crime scene
Police are urging members of the public to continue to stay away from the crime scene as the investigation continues.
Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm said at Tuesday evening’s press conference that law enforcement are continuing to hold the scene which he said was the wooded area around the footpath between the north end of Grove Street and the brewery parking lot.
“This is important to the integrity of the investigation and we would ask you to continue to avoid this area,” said Chief Kelm.
The crime scene had been processed on Monday night and Lily’s body was taken away for an autopsy, he said.
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 03:45
Full story: Juvenile arrested on suspicion of murder of Lily Peters
A juvenile known to slain 10-year-old Liliana “Lily” Peters has been arrested on suspicion of her murder, according to authorities.
Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm announced in a press conference on Tuesday evening that the suspect was taken into custody earlier that evening and that there is no longer any danger to the public.
The police chief said that the suspect is “not a stranger” but was “known” to the murdered 10-year-old.
The suspect’s name, gender and age was not revealed and Chief Kelm would not confirm if the individual is a relative of Lily’s.
The arrest came after police executed a search warrant at 422 North Grove Street in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and evidence was collected from the property, he said.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 03:15
Police tape and heavy law enforcement presence at property
A heavy law enforcement presence was seen at a home in North Grove Street on Tuesday evening, where an execution of a search warrant led police to the suspected killer.
Photos posted online by KARE11 reporter Lou Raguse reveal police tape around the home on North Grove Street and the road blocked off as law enforcement carried items out of the property.
Police Chief Matthew Kelm said at a press conference that a search warrant was executed at 422 North Grove Street and, after finding evidence, a suspect was taken into custody.
Records show that Lily’s relatives live at the address and, when the 10-year-old was first reported missing, police said she vanished after leaving her aunt’s house on North Grove Street to head to her own home on East Birch Street.
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 02:35
Public sent in over 200 tips during investigation
Members of the public sent in over 200 tips to the police during the hunt for Lily Peters’ killer, said Police Chief Kelm.
The police chief thanked members of the public who had provided “critical” information in the investigation.
“While nothing will bring Lily Peters back or change what happened, we are very grateful to be able to deliver this news for the family and for the community,” he said of the arrest.
He also spoke of the way the community had come together in the tragedy, pointing to the purple ribbons being tied around lampposts across town in honour of the 10-year-old.
Rachel Sharp27 April 2022 02:00