Local News
The preteens were arrested after a separate disturbance near the scene of the fatal Jan. 19 beating.
Four preteens charged in connection with the fatal beating of a 51-year-old man in Providence were identified after allegedly throwing rocks at a vehicle and attempting to assault the driver a day after the attack, according to Providence police.
Investigators say the four juveniles — three 12-year-olds and one 11-year-old — attacked Rony Alonso on Manton Avenue at about 7:23 p.m. on Jan. 19. Alonso later died from his injuries after being treated at Rhode Island Hospital.
Plainclothes officers were monitoring the Manton Avenue area following the assault on Alonso, according to police records cited by the Boston Globe. In a report, officers said that on Jan. 20, they observed “numerous bystanders and vehicles” stopping to watch an altercation near the scene of the earlier attack.
Three of the four suspects were taken into custody around 4 p.m. after a 57-year-old woman reported that the youths had thrown rocks at her vehicle on Manton Avenue. According to police, the woman parked her car to confront the group, at which point the boys allegedly attempted to assault her.
Officers said they intervened before the woman was struck. The youths denied throwing rocks at the vehicle and became uncooperative, police reported.
The three boys were each charged with disorderly conduct and malicious vandalism and taken to the Rhode Island Training School. The fourth suspect in the attack on Alonso was later identified and arrested on a warrant.
Initially, the juveniles were charged with felony assault and conspiracy in connection with Alonso’s beating. The charges were upgraded to murder after Alonso died from his injuries on Jan. 22. The children were arraigned in Family Court on Tuesday, officials said.
Witnesses told investigators they saw several youths knock Alonso to the ground and repeatedly kick and punch him before fleeing the area.
The Office of the Medical Examiner determined Alonso’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
