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Girl, 10, accused of fatally shooting woman ordered to stay in detention
A 10-year-old Orlando girl will remain in juvenile detention, despite her father asking the judge to release her. She appeared before a judge in juvenile court on Wednesday to face a charge of second-degree murder after she allegedly shot and killed a woman who was in a fight with her mom.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A 10-year-old Orlando girl will remain in juvenile detention, despite her father asking the judge to release her. She appeared before a judge in juvenile court on Wednesday to face a charge of second-degree murder after she allegedly shot and killed a woman who was in a fight with her mom.
"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure my daughter gets all the help she needs," Dewan Dennis told the judge in his plea to allow his daughter to stay at his home.
The girl is accused of shooting and killing, 41-year-old Lashun Rodgers, as Rodgers and the girl’s mother, Lakrisha Isaac, were fighting on Memorial Day. Orlando police said the girl's mom and another woman were in an argument when the mom handed the girl a bag with a gun in it. At some point, the girl then shot the woman twice, who later died.
The girl's lawyers asked that she be allowed to wear a GPS ankle bracelet so she could be monitored, rather than be locked up indefinitely. "She will be monitored 24/7. I understand the seriousness of the offense, but it was the adult that brought the gun," her attorney said.
Prosecutors contend the child is considered a threat to the public. "While I understand her age is a component, we have to look at the nature of the offense and the charges that have been alleged and the facts that have been alleged for the community’s safety," said Shannon Corack.
The judge decided she will stay at the Juvenile Detention Center. Prosecutors said the child can get the help she needs there. "Services can be put in place. They have even volunteers that can come and mentor the kids in JDC."
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Police: 10-year-old Florida girl who shot, killed woman fighting with mom to appear in court
The 10-year-old girl, who police said shot and killed a woman her mother was involved in a fight with last week in Orlando, has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge, according to police. She'll appear in juvenile court on Wednesday.
The State Attorney's Office arrested the girl Tuesday on the second-degree murder. The girl, who FOX 35 News is not naming, is not being tried as an adult, though prosecutors were still figuring out how to move forward.
"We anticipate that whatever charges we eventually file if any, will ensure she receives the interventions necessary to address her behavior, help her change and grow, and ensure the public’s safety going forward," said State Attorney Monique Worrell, adding that it was one of the "most tragic cases" she'd seen in her career.
Authorities said the girl shot Rodgers twice at an apartment complex on Mercy Drive.
Pictured: Lashun Rodgers (left) and Lakrisha Isaac (right) (FOX 35 Orlando)
Isaac, the girl's mother, was arrested on several charges, including manslaughter, aggravated assault with a firearm, and child neglect.
Based on online records, the girl could be one of the youngest people arrested on a murder charge in the state's history.
If formally charged and convicted, attorney Mike Panella, who is not involved in the case, said it could be problematic for the state's juvenile justice system.
"If she is charged with second-degree murder, and put into an adult prison, that would be a problematic situation. We don’t have 20-30 year prisons set up for juveniles," he said.
"No 10-year-old ever deserves to be treated as an adult in the criminal justice system," said Catherine Jones of the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth. "I personally went through that at the age of 13."
Jones and her brother, Curtis Fairchild, were sentenced to 18 years in prison for second-degree murder back in 1999 for murdering their father's girlfriend. She was 13 and her brother was 12. Jones said it was a traumatic experience and added that kids need to be treated with dignity.
"This child needs to be given the opportunity for trauma-informed healing, and she’s not gonna get that in an adult system."
The next hearing is June 28.