The teenager arrested in the beating of a 94-year-old World War II veteran will face adult charges in the incident, Channel 2 Action News said Friday.
Prosecutors said in court Friday that they will move the case to Cobb County Superior Court where he will be tried as an adult, Channel 2 said.
An 11-year-old is also charged with beating and robbing the man. His mother told the courtroom Friday that her son was “a bystander watching,” Fox 5 has reported.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, a Cobb police officer told the court that the 15-year-old, also charged with beating the man, was bragging about what authorities had found under his bed: a .410-gauge shotgun, Fox 5 said.
"Sgt. Pluckett of our gang unit advised that this juvenile was bragging on MySpace and Facebook that I had just taken a shotgun from under his mattress," Officer D.J. Ponte Jr. told the courtroom.
The 11-year-old and a 15-year-old are charged with armed robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, burglary and violation of the Georgia Gang Act. Their names have not been released because they are juveniles.
The two are accused of beating Paul Smallwood on Sept. 24. They were arrested earlier this week.
Attorneys for the pair entered not guilty pleas Friday morning, Fox 5 said.
Smallwood, who was beaten with a rock, remains at the WellStar Kennestone Hospital’s intensive care unit.
Smallwood was returning from a doctor’s appointment Friday when he encountered the younger of the boys, who offered to introduce the man to someone who could fix his car.
When Smallwood declined, the boy followed him into the apartment. When Smallwood told the 11-year-old to get out, the 15-year-old emerged and threw a 10-inch rock at the man.
Smallwood fell onto his back and the teen continued to beat him with the rock, according to reports.
The judge has ordered the 15-year-old to remain in juvenile detention instead of on house arrest, saying he was a threat to the community and to himself, Fox 5 reported. Information on the 11-year-old was not immediately available.
Staff writer Marcus K. Garner contributed to this article
