WASHINGTON, D.C. – A 13-year-old girl, the youngest of five teens convicted in the violent beating death of a disabled man, was sentenced on Tuesday to remain in a detention facility until she turns 20. The victim, 64-year-old Reggie Brown, was chased into a Washington, D.C., alley in October 2023, where he was beaten, kicked, and stomped to death by the group.
The girl, who was just 12 years old at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty to assault and was described by prosecutors as one of the ringleaders of the group.
At her sentencing, Superior Court Judge Kendra Briggs called out the teen’s apparent lack of remorse, referencing a voicemail recording in which she bragged about the beating and discussed it “as if it was like making a sandwich.”
The incident, which prosecutors say was motivated by boredom, shocked the community. Brown’s family was present in court as the voicemail was played. One of Brown’s sisters left the courtroom, visibly distraught, saying, “For a 13-year-old girl to be able to celebrate like that … I couldn’t listen anymore.”
Prosecutors accused the teen of taking Brown’s belt and using it to strike him repeatedly, shouting “belt to a–” as others recorded the assault on their phones. The group also took selfies and videos with Brown after the attack. The other four girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15, faced similar charges.
Two of the teens, including the 13-year-old sentenced Tuesday, pleaded guilty last month. Another 13-year-old was convicted of second-degree murder earlier this month and was sentenced to remain in a Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services facility until she turns 21, the maximum sentence allowed for a minor in Washington, D.C.
A 13-year-old girl is the latest to be sentenced in the brutal killing of a disabled man, a crime prosecutors say was carried out simply because the teens were “bored.”