A 14-year-old girl from Ukraine is facing adult charges in connection with the beating death of her elderly grandmother, who was reportedly assaulted in a Florida condo by her grandpa using a walker and a belt.
Prosecutors have charged Sofia Koval with manslaughter in connection with Yevheniia Koval’s death. According to a news statement from the Broward State Attorney’s Office, the girl was ordered to be jailed without bond at the Broward County Jail on Wednesday after a judge found probable cause.
“Because of the heinous nature of the crime and after considering everything presented by the defense so far, I believe it is appropriate that this case should be handled in adult court,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in the press release.
“We are considering all options and working closely with her attorneys at the Broward Public Defender’s Office to come up with an appropriate resolution that holds her accountable but also factors in her age and the circumstances of this offense,” he added.
The matter was brought to light when, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 23, Broward County Sheriff’s detectives responded to a death investigation at a condo in Lauderdale Lakes, according to an affidavit detailing the claims. Authorities were informed by the victim’s son that he discovered his mother lifeless on the living room floor, according to court records. The woman passed away after being transported to a hospital. According to the results of the autopsy, she sustained around fifteen cuts and scrapes on her face, as well as bruises on her limbs and hands and bleeding on the right side of her neck and arms. In addition to brain hemorrhage and scalp contusions, the affidavit said that she had blood on her scalp.
The son informed authorities that he shared the residence with his mother and daughter, who had just immigrated to the United States from Ukraine. According to the affidavit, he claimed his daughter’s behavioral problems stemmed from her exposure to the conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent separation from her mother.
He said that he had previously removed her phone as a form of discipline before he departed the house at 7 o’clock in the evening, abandoning his daughter and the victim in the flat. According to the affidavit, he said that he arrived home at 12:30 a.m. and found his mother motionless. He then contacted the authorities.
In response to his question about what had transpired, the affidavit stated that the defendant’s daughter informed him that her grandma had scratched her.
“As a result, she had to defend herself,” the document said. “Sofia Koval told her father that she struck the victim several times with a belt. Sofia Koval started crying and said she was sorry for what she had done.”
A walker was necessary to help the victim. Authorities stated in the affidavit that they thought the youngster may have hit her grandma with the walker, which had a broken wheel. The victim’s body was discovered next to a belt, according to deputies.
Sofia Koval allegedly informed a Ukrainian interpreter while in detention that her grandma “was already dying and that she helped her die,” according to the affidavit.
The youngster seemed to be experiencing a suspected psychotic episode, and the report stated that she had been agitated and hostile at times. She had not been getting any rest or food, according to the authorities.
She was taken to a hospital for a behavioral health evaluation due to her utterances and the possibility that she would do harm to herself and others.
The letter stated that Sofia Koval began making impromptu statements about killing her grandmother when her father was away and that she lacerated her hand on the car partition while being carried.
According to the prosecution, the offense carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail. Additionally, due to her age, she may be subject to juvenile sanctions within the juvenile court system upon conviction.