A wave of shock and sorrow has ripped through Cleveland as prosecutors announced formal charges against two children — one aged 9, the other 10 — in the vicious assault and attempted murder of a 5-year-old girl, known to her family as A’marie Jones. The allegations are harrowing: attempted murder, rape, felonious assault, kidnapping, and strangulation. Because of their ages, both are being tried as juveniles.
The case stems from the early hours of September 13, when A’marie was dropped off by her mother, Antavia Kennibrew, at a relative’s home near East 145th Street and St. Clair Avenue. According to Kennibrew, her daughter left the house on her own at some point and never returned. Instead, she was found in a nearby field off East 148th Street and St. Clair, grievously injured.
When first responders arrived, A’marie’s condition was nothing short of tragic. Kennibrew recalls, “when I saw her, she was unrecognizable.” Her scalp had been ripped; her body was covered in bruises and blood; her eyes and mouth swelled; and her fingernails were filled with dirt and debris. She was rushed to the hospital, where medical teams fought to stabilize her. The physical trauma was only the beginning — she now faces a long road of therapy, counseling, and emotional recovery.
In describing the assault, Kennibrew said she was stunned by the brutality. She told local media that her daughter’s lips were bleeding, her eyes blank with trauma, and that she had suffered immobility and extreme pain. The mother’s anguish is raw and palpable: “She was not my daughter,” she said. “Her hair was scalped … my child was unrecognizable.”
The prosecutors revealed that the suspects — a 9-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl — have been charged with a slate of serious counts: attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, felonious assault, and strangulation. Still, officials have declined to share further details, citing the sensitivity of the case and the rights of those involved. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office says the investigation remains active as evidence is reviewed.
Though the legal process is underway, the aftermath weighs heavy on the family. Kennibrew says her daughter is struggling beyond her physical injuries — psychologically and behaviorally, she’s not the same. She’s undergoing therapy, trying to reclaim fragments of her childhood. Her mother, too, is visibly changed, determined to fight for justice and healing.
At its dark core, this case is about more than charges or headlines. It’s a reminder of how fragile childhood is — and how those entrusted to care for the young must be vigilant. Kennibrew’s plea resonates: she wants her daughter to be “somewhat of a normal 5-year-old again.” And as the wheels of justice begin to turn, her family hopes the truth will not only be uncovered, but heard — loudly and clearly.
