A 5-year-old boy in Santa Cruz County, California stabbed his twin brother to death while the two were fighting Wednesday, the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office said.
At 4 p.m. deputies responded to a report that a 5-year-old had been stabbed, according to a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. Upon arrival deputies discovered that two 5-year-old twins had been fighting “as siblings sometimes do” and that “one of the 5-year-olds got a small kitchen knife and stabbed his twin brother.”
“Despite lifesaving efforts by our deputies, emergency personnel, and hospital staff, the 5-year-old passed away at the hospital,” the Santa Cruz Sheriff Office said in the Facebook post. (RELATED: Mom Allegedly Stabs Three-Year-Old Daughter To Death)
“In coordination with the District Attorney’s Office and in light of all circumstances discovered by our investigators, no charges will be filed against anyone involved. California law dictates that age, criminal intent, and knowledge of wrongfulness are factors needed to charge a child with a crime,” the sheriff’s office said. “There is no indication of negligence or criminal activity by any other party.”
Under California Welfare and Institutions Code 602, “any minor who is under 12 years of age” when they are alleged to have committed offenses that include murder is “within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.”
“We are heartbroken for the family of these two young children and share in their grief. We will not be releasing any additional identifying information and are asking media to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.