Girl admits assaulting classmate

The injured girl attended the hearing in a wheelchair.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — A 10-year-old girl admitted in juvenile court that she assaulted a classmate by pulling her off a set of monkey bars and stomping on her, breaking the victim’s hip.

The girl admitted one charge of aggravated assault at a hearing in Erie County Juvenile Court on Thursday, the equivalent of an adult guilty plea. Simple assault and harassment charges were dropped.

The girl who was attacked April 3 at Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School, 10-year-old Rikki Triana, attended the hearing in a wheelchair. Her mother, Lisa Triana, wiped tears from her face as the hearing progressed. She has said she approves of how the case is being handled.

Erie County Judge John Trucilla said the assault was serious, but he also wanted the girl to continue rehabilitation and doesn’t want her falling behind in her studies. He said she behaved well in juvenile detention and had good grades before the attack.

The girl was returning home Friday after more than two weeks in a juvenile detention center. She will be on electronic monitoring.

“I expect you are going to obey and do everything told or asked of you,” Trucilla said.

She next faces a disposition hearing, which is similar to a sentencing, in about a month.

After the hearing, the girl’s parents apologized.

“I do want to let the family and the victim know how sorry we are,” her mother said. She said her daughter’s behavior was out of character.

On Wednesday, an 11-year-old co-defendant admitted to one charge of harassment for throwing a cup of water on Rikki before the assault. She faces a May 15 disposition hearing.