In a tragic incident, a five-year-old boy from California, engaged in play fighting with his twin brother, accidentally stabbed him with a small kitchen knife.
Despite the emergency services responding promptly to the family home in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, around 4 pm on November 15, the injured child did not survive his wounds.
It has been determined that no charges will be filed against the young boy for this unfortunate incident.
After a thorough investigation, the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office concluded that there was no evidence of negligence or criminal activity in the incident.
Penal Code 26 stipulates that children under the age of 14 are deemed ‘not capable’ of committing a crime, unless it can be demonstrated that, at the time of committing the act in question, they were aware of its wrongfulness.
Additionally, California’s juvenile court jurisdiction extends to delinquency cases involving children between the ages of 12 and 17.
Video: California 5-year-old fatally stabbed by twin brother
The District Attorney’s office has initiated an investigation to determine whether the children were adequately supervised or faced inherent danger in the course of their activities, according to former prosecutor Steven Clark.
‘The fact that the sheriff’s office came out so quickly and deemed this not a negligent situation, suggests that this family was acting appropriately, that this was just a one-off, horrible, tragic event,’ Clark told the channel.
In an official Facebook statement, the Office reported that deputies were dispatched to the 200 Block of Tucker Road in unincorporated Scotts Valley just before 4 pm on November 15, 2023, in response to a stabbing involving a five-year-old victim.
Upon arrival, it was discovered that the incident stemmed from a typical sibling disagreement between the two five-year-old twins.
‘Tragically, during the incident, one of the 5-year-olds got a small kitchen knife and stabbed his twin brother.’
Despite extensive efforts by deputies, emergency personnel, and hospital staff to save the boy’s life, he tragically did not survive.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office expressed their condolences, stating, ‘Despite lifesaving efforts by our deputies, emergency personnel, and hospital staff, the 5-year-old passed away at the hospital. We are heartbroken for the family of these two young children and share in their grief.’
Ashley Keehn, the public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, emphasized that the incident was a tragic situation without any negligence involved. She stated, ‘Through investigation and witness interviews, there was no negligence. This ended up being just being a very tragic, horrific situation,’ as reported by ABC7.
In their time of profound sorrow, the grieving parents have requested privacy and have refrained from disclosing any details about the family.