4 children charged with murder for allegedly beating man to death
01/29/2026 1:38 pm PST
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (TCN) -- Four children, ages 11 and 12, are being charged with murder and conspiracy to commit felony assault in connection with a man’s fatal beating on Jan. 19.
According to the Providence Police Department, two of the children were arraigned in family court on Jan. 27, Boston.com reports. The other two are awaiting arraignment. Their names have not been released because of their ages, WJAR reports.
On Jan. 19, police responded to a report of an assault. Witnesses told police they had seen several young people attacking a man, knocking him to the ground and kicking and punching him before leaving, Boston.com reports. The victim, 51-year-old Rony Alonzo, was transported to a hospital.
Detectives performed video canvassing of the area and located four suspects on Jan. 20. Three are 12 and one is 11. Three were taken into custody for allegedly throwing rocks at cars, Yahoo! News reports.
- During interviews with police, the children allegedly admitted to their roles in the assault. They were charged with felony assault and conspiracy. The fourth suspect was identified and apprehended after the execution of a warrant.
Boston.com reports Alonzo died from his injuries on Jan. 23, police announced. The medical examiner said the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the charges against the children were upgraded.
According to Yahoo! News, Rhode Island is one of 23 states in which there is no minimum age for juveniles to be tried as adults in court. The office of the state’s attorney general would need to seek to waive the offenders out of family court within 30 days of their arraignment, according to the outlet. However, a family court judge could waive jurisdiction for offenders to be tried in adult court.
Police have not revealed a motive for the attack, per WJAR. According to Alonzo’s sister-in-law, “He was a person who didn’t bother anyone. He didn’t look for trouble. He stayed away from problems.”
NBC Boston reports Alonzo was a quiet man who had moved to the United States from Guatemala 30 years ago. According to a GoFundMe set up by his family to cover funeral expenses and bring Alonzo’s body to Guatemala, “This heartbreaking and senseless act has left our family in deep pain and mourning.”
The investigation is ongoing.
MORE: - 4 children, ages 11 and 12, charged with murder in fatal attack on man in Providence, police say — The Boston Globe
- ‘I killed Daddy’: 11-year-old son allegedly shot father for telling him to go to bed — True Crime News
