NEW CASTLE 2 teen boys charged in plot to murder 13-year-old girl
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police have charged a 14-year-old Union Township boy and a 16-year-old Edinburg boy with plotting to murder a 13-year-old girl.
The boys were placed in a juvenile detention facility Wednesday. Juvenile petitions filed today charge both boys with criminal conspiracy to commit homicide, criminal solicitation to commit homicide and terroristic threats.
Both are ninth-graders at Union High School and apparently were plotting to kill a girl who previously had attended seventh grade in the district, police said.
Matthew Mangino, Lawrence County district attorney, said police were notified Wednesday by school officials after learning of the plot.
Union Schools Superintendent Dom Ionta would say only that high school administrators uncovered information that they turned over to police. Ionta would not comment further.
What police said: Pennsylvania State Police said they are uncertain of a motive, but it appears both boys were upset because the girl stopped dating them.
They said the boys plotted to kill the girl at night in her home. No specific date was mentioned and no specific steps were taken to follow through on the plot, police said.
However, a knife was confiscated at one of their homes, police said.
Although police say the girl wasn't in any apparent danger, Mangino said some steps had been taken to carry out the murder plot and that is why charges were filed.
"I don't think they went to her home, but it became apparent to school officials that something was going on," he said.
Mangino said both boys will have a hearing before a juvenile court master Monday.
Ionta said school went on as usual this morning and no special arrangements were made to talk to the other students about the matter.