Wisconsin grandfather accused of beating 12-year-old to death

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The gramps of a 12-year-old lad was criminally charged for allegedly beating the kid to decease past play successful Wisconsin. The antheral accused the lad of stealing wealth from his wallet and "lost control," authorities say.

Andrez Martina, 53, faces 5 charges, according to a transgression complaint: First-degree intentional homicide, 2 counts of carnal maltreatment of a child, neglecting a child, and possession of a firearm by a felon. If convicted, helium faces beingness successful prison.

The suspect asked the boy, Andre Smith II, and his 8-year-old member to slumber implicit astatine his location Saturday evening, the children's ineligible guardian and grandma told police. Martina planned to instrumentality to the boys buying for schoolhouse supplies the adjacent day, according to a transgression complaint.

On Sunday morning, the grandma says the suspect sent her a substance accusing Andre of stealing his money. The grandma asked wherever Andre was and the suspect replied, "he's bleeding."

That's erstwhile the grandma woke her girl and her fellow and told them to spell to the defendant's location adjacent 46th and Glendale and find retired what was happening.

There they recovered the boys and the defendant. The fellow instantly drove the boys to the hospital. Andre was unconscious with a terrible caput wound.

Andre and his brother's disabled great-grandmother, who lives with Martina, told constabulary she was awakened by the suspect yelling astatine Andre. She looked up and saw the suspect hitting Andre with a hammer, according to the complaint.

Police accidental they recovered methamphetamine pills, marijuana, and a firearm successful the defendant's home.

At the hospital, constabulary learned the 8-year-old member suffered a caput laceration, fractured finger, and bruising accordant with kid carnal abuse. The member told investigators that Martina was aggravated astir missing wealth and bushed the brothers with a mallet, a sledgehammer, and a overgarment rack.

In an interrogation with police, Martina said helium returned to Milwaukee from Indiana successful May. "Upon returning to Milwaukee, the suspect wanted to reconnect with his grandchildren. The suspect learned [Andre] had a occupation stealing," according to the complaint.

The suspect recalled telling his grandchildren successful the past, “If you lie, if you messiness up successful school, if you steal, I’m going to termination you."

During the interview, the suspect besides admitted to sidesplitting different lad successful 1989 and "said helium wanted to speech with constabulary arsenic the suspect has thing to hide," the ailment states.

Vigils for Andre

Dozens gathered to mourn Andre successful 2 vigils held successful Milwaukee connected Monday night.

Andre's sister and grandma described him arsenic a bright, young boy. His grandma held a vigil and balloon merchandise adjacent her location astatine 71st and Hope Monday night.

"He made maine a large sister, I mean, I emotion him with each my heart," said Andre's sister, Shatya Martina. "And he’s the archetypal small member I really called mine, and I took attraction of and watched him turn up."

"He was a blessed kid," said Andre's grandmother, Illysha McCroy. "He loved Minecraft, Roblox, Legos, helium watched the title crippled with me. It’s conscionable truthful hard to fathom."

Over astatine Lincoln Park, Andre's mother, Nakeda Martina, besides held a vigil for her son.

"He called maine Friday nighttime astatine 12 o'clock connected the dot to privation maine a blessed birthday," Martina said. "And past helium was beaten to decease connected my existent birthday."

Martina says she does not person custody of Andre, and she lives successful Georgia. She said she had feared thing similar this mightiness happen.

"I person been calling CPS each week since the Fourth of July erstwhile I picked Andre retired of the street," Martina said.

"Nobody listens to my kids, cipher listens to me, and present my babe is gone," Martina added.

This communicative was primitively published by Mary Jo Ola, Stephanie Haines, and different unit astatine WTMJ.