South Milwaukee teen accused, charged as adult in grandmother's death
MILWAUKEE - A 15-year-old South Milwaukee boy is now charged as an adult, accused of strangling his grandmother to death. Prosecutors say it was the second time in as many months that the boy choked his grandmother to the point of passing out.
South Milwaukee homicide
What we know:
South Milwaukee police arrested the boy last week after the medical examiner found Elizabeth Totsky, 68, died from strangulation.
Last week, a juvenile court commissioner directed the media not to name the boy.
On Monday, Sept. 8, prosecutors charged him with first-degree intentional homicide. He made his first appearance in adult court on Monday, just days after appearing in juvenile court after his arrest.
Police investigation
The backstory:
On Aug. 27, South Milwaukee police were called to the home near 17th and Oak that Totsky shared with her husband and two grandchildren, including the 15-year-old. When a police officer entered the home, he found South Milwaukee Fire Department personnel working on Totsky to regain a pulse. She was taken to the hospital where she died several days later.
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The boy, who called 911, told police that his grandmother was in the kitchen when she had a seizure and fell to the ground. However, during an autopsy, a medical examiner found hemorrhages and fractures showing evidence of strangulation.
Area of 17th and Oak, South Milwaukee
What they're saying:
In an interview with Totsky’s husband, the boy’s step-grandfather, he told police about two months prior his wife told him the boy had snuck up behind her, put her in a choke hold to the point she became unconscious and woke up to her grandson standing over her, according to court filings.
In a later interview, prosecutors say the boy changed part of his story after being confronted with the autopsy findings, eventually admitting to strangling his grandmother for roughly five minutes.
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The boy made his first court appearance in juvenile court on Thursday, where he was ordered to be held in secure detention pending charges.
What's next:
The court commissioner set the boy's bond at $100,000. He is due back in court next week.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.