A five-year-old boy has fatally stabbed his twin brother with a kitchen knife while fighting in a shocking and horrific tragedy.
The twins were fighting at their home in California when one brother grabbed a small kitchen knife and stabbed his sibling in unincorporated Scotts Valley, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. The boy died in hospital.
The incident is said to have taken place on Wednesday, just before 4pm.
"We are heartbroken for the family of these two young children and share in their grief," the Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post.
Authorities said they do not plan to file criminal charges over the death.
"California law dictates that age, criminal intent, and knowledge of wrongfulness are factors needed to charge a child with a crime," the Facebook post stated. "Based on the current investigation, there is no indication of negligence or criminal activity by any other party."
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Based on the investigations, the child was unaware of the wrongfulness of his actions. This means no charges will be filed. According to Fox News, the Sheriff's Office cited Penal Code 26 which presumes children under the age of 14 are not capable of committing a crime unless they know of the wrongfulness of what they are doing. Since 2019, the state cannot process children under the age of 12 through the juvenile justice system.
Scotts Valley is roughly 55 miles south of San Francisco. Ashley Keehn, the public information officer for the Sheriff's Office, confirmed it was a tragic situation and no negligence was involved. She said: "Through investigation and witness interviews, there was no negligence. This ended up being just being a very tragic, horrific situation."
No further information is expected to be released and the public have been asked to respect the family's privacy.
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