CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — A judge has set a $1 million cash bond for a 14-year-old boy who a prosecutor says fatally strangled and then sexually assaulted a 10-year-old western Wisconsin girl.
The boy, who authorities say was known to the victim, Illiana “Lily” Peters, appeared in adult court in Chippewa County by video from a juvenile detention center and was identified only by his initials.
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell said the defendant punched the girl, knocked her to the ground, hit her with a stick and strangled her before sexually assaulting her. The defense had argued for $100,000 cash bond.
According to Chippewa Police Chief Kelm, authorities received more than 200 tips prior to the arrest.
Kelm says officers executed a search warrant at an address in the block where Lily had gone to visit her aunt on Sunday, when she went missing.
Her father called the police about 9 p.m. Sunday after she failed to return home from a visit to her aunt’s house, just blocks away. Her body was found Monday morning near a walking trail in Chippewa Falls.
This story was originally reported by TMJ4 and The Associated Press.
