A 15-year-old girl was recently sentenced to three years in a youth detention facility.
This punishment was for her involvement in the brutal beating of a 64-year-old disabled man in Washington, D.C., last year.
The victim, Reggie Brown, who was battling cancer and suffering from lupus, was attacked by a group of five teen girls.
The attackers ranged between the ages of 12 and 15.
Tragically, one of the girls involved in the attack on Reggie Brown was fatally shot before her trial.
She was shot in her home on Peabody Street in early October 2023.
The incident is unrelated to the attack on Brown.
The unprovoked assault on Brown occurred in an alley just after midnight in October 2023.
During an August court hearing, the disturbing details of the crime were presented.
This included cellphone footage allegedly recorded by one of the girls.
The video reportedly shows the teens kicking and stomping on Brown, pulling his pants down, and using his belt to beat him.
Prosecutors also said the attackers were seen celebrating their actions in the video.
At the time, Brown weighed only 110 pounds due to cancer treatments.
He had undergone previous surgeries, including the placement of a metal plate in his head after a fall, and had lost several fingers to illness.
One of the attackers, a 15-year-old, apologized to Brown's family in court.
She admitted that she joined the attack to be with her younger sister, who was also involved.
She expressed deep regret.
She acknowledged her actions were wrong and pledged to carry the burden of her mistake for the rest of her life.
Judge Kendra D. Briggs, who presided over the case, described the assault as "horrific."
She expressed disappointment that the teen did not act as a role model for her younger sister.
The sentencing hearing also included undisclosed details about the teen's mental health and education.
The five teens were charged with Brown’s murder in March 2024.
If convicted, the four remaining girls face potential confinement in a youth rehabilitation facility until they turn 21.
The 15-year-old initially pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, but her charge was reduced to assault with a dangerous weapon—her foot.
Prosecutors explained that while she kicked Brown only once, she stepped back as the others continued the attack.
An autopsy revealed Brown died from blows to the head, with a 13-year-old girl delivering the fatal strike, described as the most vicious part of the assault.
Four of the girls, charged with either first- or second-degree murder, have upcoming trials.
While prosecutors requested a two-year sentence for the 15-year-old, her defense sought a shorter sentence.
Brown's family argued for a harsher penalty, submitting over 20 letters asking for more than two years of detention.
After the hearing, Brown’s sisters, Malda Brown and Nasia Israel, said the three-year sentence was fair.
The defense attorney, Philip Skillman, pleaded for leniency.
He emphasized that the teen deeply regretted her actions and had cooperated with authorities.
He also criticized the Department of Youth Rehabilitation for submitting their evaluation of the teen on the day of sentencing, giving him little time to review it.
Judge Briggs ultimately sentenced the teen to a year longer than the prosecution had recommended.
She reminded the teen that her decision would have lasting effects on both her life and the victim's family.
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