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Waukesha armed sexual assault suspect to be charged as adult
A teenager accused of sexually assaulting an elderly woman at knifepoint in the Waukesha library parking lot will be tried as an adult.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The teenager accused of sexually assaulting an elderly woman at knifepoint in a Waukesha library parking lot will be charged as an adult, Judge Maria Lazar ruled Thursday, April 28.
Prosecutors said the defendant will appear in adult court on Friday. That is when the defendant will be formally charged; FOX6 News is not naming the defendant until that happens.
Cameras are not allowed inside juvenile court, which is where Thursday's hearing unfolded. The defendant was 14 years old at the time of the alleged assault.
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The defendant faces four felony charges, including sexual assault and kidnapping. Prosecutors said the teen held the victim at knifepoint last November. It started as the victim returned books to the library's book-drop.
In her oral ruling, Lazar sided with prosecutors – saying adult court is in the best interest for the public and the defendant. She said: "This is a brazen act, committed in broad daylight, against a vulnerable member of the community."
Waukesha Public Library
Prosecutors say the teen allegedly tried to conceal evidence and claimed to have "blacked out" when the victim said she was sexually assaulted.
The victim wrote a letter to the court saying she was: "Robbed to live a normal life without fear. This will haunt me for the rest of my life." She was not present in court Thursday.
The defendant wore a white t-shirt and jeans, sitting motionless during Thursday's 90-minute hearing. His mother sat in the gallery behind him.
Potential sentencing weighed heavy on Lazar's ruling. She said, had the defendant stayed in juvenile court, he'd face up to five years' supervision. In adult court, however, it is 20 or more years if convicted on just one charge.
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