LANCASTER – A 14-year-old boy has been charged with special circumstance murder for the killing of an 86-year-old woman found dead at her Lancaster home last week, authorities said.
Tony Donnell Brown of Lancaster was charged Monday with one count of murder and two counts of first-degree burglary, person present, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The case includes a special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed during a first-degree burglary and a special allegation that Brown used a knife.
The 14-year-old made an initial court appearance Monday, but his arraignment was scheduled for July 23 at the Antelope Valley courthouse.
Brown is accused of breaking into Annie Margaret Bell‘s home on June 18 and stabbing her multiple times while she lay in bed, said Steven Frankland, Head Deputy of the Antelope Valley Branch.
The elderly woman was found dead with apparent stab wounds around 7:10 p.m. June 18 at her home in the 44600 block of Stillwater Drive, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
Deputies from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of an open window at the residence and found Bell “unresponsive and suffering from what appeared to be cut wounds about her upper torso,” according to the sheriff’s news release.
“During their investigation, detectives were told by witnesses in the neighborhood that a person matching the description of the suspect was possibly hiding in the bushes,” sheriff’s officials said in the news release.
Lancaster patrol deputies responded to the area and detained a juvenile who was hiding in the bushes, according to homicide detectives, and the juvenile was positively identified by the witnesses.
“Detectives conducted an interview of the juvenile. He was arrested for murder,” the sheriff’s news release states. A possible motive for the stabbing has not been released.
Bail for Brown has been set at $1 million. Prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty against Brown because of his age. He would face a potential 26-year-to-life prison term if convicted.
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS FREE (8477).
UPDATED 7.23.15: Brown’s arraignment has been postponed to Sept. 18, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
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Previous related story: Elderly woman found dead in Lancaster, juvenile arrested for murder
Pat says
I live in a neighborhood, where the parents let their kids roam around with absolutely no supervision whatsoever. They destroy neighboring yards of homeowners. The parents sit i side their section 8 house and cud care less where or what their kids are doing. I have actually seen the smallest of all, a 4 yr old girl roaming down the street alone at 8 pm almost dark, my thouhht, whos gonna come along and grab this little one. I finally as a grandparent, having raised 4 children of my own all with good work ethic manners and living good lives caught these kids and told them next time i catch them destroying others property i wud call the sheriff and social services. Maybe that will wake up the lazy, non working gettig high worthless parents of these soon to be wanna be thugs. And yes i raised my kids as a single mother with no help from welfare, no food stamps, but strict supervision. I worked and went to nursing school at the same time. Exausted as i was, mh kids were under my constant watch. So all you parents out there, start doing your job. You chose to be parents si now you have a lifelong responsibility to them. Get them off the streets. You and you alone are liable for what they do. This child has now destroyed an entire family, and his own. My heart as a nurse goes out to the victims family, but sorry to say that i consider this a huge lapse in good parenting as far as the ” young thug ” is concerned. My heart and prayers go out to the victims family and friends who have lost a wonderful loved one, and i can only hope that justice is served the proper way as this case winds through the judicial system. Wake up all you lazy parents, where are your kids right now?
Confused says
Careful. ..Tim Scott may accuse you of racism.
Tim Scott says
Pat’s not the one spewing racial tripe like this:
” Confused
June 25, 2015 at 7:29 am
My daughter is white but identifies as black due to the generous benefits gifted to minorities. It’s she able to compete?”
That would be you. If you don’t like the shoes, don’t get them fitted.
Confused says
Apparently you don’t read the paper so I’ll help you. Recently there was a story about a white woman claiming to be black. Get educated you fascist bully and stop calling everyone names. If you want to look up the story the name was Dolezal. Jeez. What a fascist.
Kelly Sal says
I am black and I completely agree with you. I can not stand Palmdale & Lancaster. There are so many ghetto people out here who does not care about anything. I work hard to take care of my kids with no section 8 or nothing. I raise them with morals and give my all to be a good parent. A huge problem with AV is some of the people and their are also alot of foster kids out here. The problem is a foster kid can just up and leave and disobey their foster parent’s. I just pray for everyone and that it all gets better. I pray that the foster system will improve as well. And I pray that these bad parents get it together . let’s make our kids #1 and put all of our love and time in them.This story is so bad. I pray for her family. This is heart breaking truly heart breaking
Kelly Sal says
I am black and I completely agree with you. I can not stand Palmdale & Lancaster. There are so many ghetto people out here who does not care about anything. I work hard to take care of my kids with no section 8 or nothing. I raise them with morals and give my all to be a good parent. A huge problem with AV is some of the people and their are also alot of foster kids out here. The problem is a foster kid can just up and leave and disobey their foster parent’s. I just pray for everyone and that it all gets better. I pray that the foster system will improve as well. And I pray that these bad parents get it together . let’s make our kids #1 and put all of our love and time in them.This story is so bad. I pray for her family. This is heart breaking truly heart breaking .
The first part of my post is just replying to some of my frustrations out here and not just saying that this happened because of his parents. He could be a run away or a foster kid or just a troubled team but we just can’t always blame parents because sometimes it’s the not the parents fault. There are parents who were some of the best parents in the world and their kids still have ended up doing the worse things ever. All we can do is pray for all of the kids and raise them all the best way we can. I do alot in the community and I reach out to troubled teens. I try to do my part and help where I can. But I pray that some thing like this will not happen it again. It’s very veryyyyy sad.
DO THE CRIME.... says
This young man is being charged as an adult. I certainly hope that capital punishment is not out of the options for penalties.
I have two children his age and they both were revolted to hear about this news. My older son, who is sixteen, and also volunteers with seniors, took the words out of my mouth when he suggested that this “kid” should be eligible for the death sentence.
My condolences to both families. Lets see how the California Justice system plays this one out. “Not his fault because {insert lame excuse here].” “He’s just a kid”
He is just a kid who committed a evil act against a defenseless senior lady.
Do we want to rehabilitate him to be an adult who does the same crime years up the road? Of course we do this is California.
Death Sentence 100%
Tim Scott says
Unless the SCOTUS reversed itself since 2005 there is no death penalty for juveniles in the United States.
California, as far as I know, has not produced a revised death penalty system since it was ruled unconstitutional (the system, not the death penalty itself) last year, so even if he was an actual adult the death penalty would not be an option.
Sorry.
Pass my admiration on to your kid though. Volunteering with seniors is an indication of a very impressive young man. The “OMG the sky is falling kids are all criminal wannabes and out of control” blatherers should take note.
PiscesStar says
All u [removed] who said anything bad about this young boy are just as bad as he is. Wasting your time and thumb energy to say something cruel About a child, regardless of ur age and his. He ran away from home!! Been living solow for 5 years belive it or not bitches!!! So all ur stupid unguided and illinformed comments about his mother and mental wellbeing is not benifiting nobody!!! [removed] and yo grandkids [removed].. get off the enternet old lady, geezer… see hurtful words can easily flow, go do sumthing productive, [removed] walkin sandbags
Tim Scott says
Let’s rein in for a second here. Yes, this is a heinous crime. But let’s not use this incident and this kid to make wild generalizations about “youth are out of control” or “parents are lacking.” Remember, there are about 5000 fourteen year olds in the AV that DID NOT kill this woman, and only one that did.
Mr. Constitution says
… allegedly. Due Process is a wonderful thing. But I am being silly.
Tim Scott says
No, you are absolutely correct. As often as I have been the one calling for due process against the crazy fascists around here I should know better and I appreciate the reminder.
Doesn’t change the main point though, that being that there are thousands of fourteen year olds who aren’t even in question here, so the sweeping generalizations are uncalled for.
law says
Yes, and out of those 5000; 3500 are criminals wanna be.
Tim Scott says
Been out interviewing 14 year olds, or is that the typical “sky is falling” off the cuffism that is so common around here?
CAli Palmdale says
Tim Scott — The EX CON Criminal defender. when will you see the problem we have here there are to many thugs running lose in these valley we need to clean up I say this killer needs to be put down sounds bad but he will never change if he is let out he will commit the same crime again. who knows next might be you grandma or your mom then you might change you mind ???
Tim Scott says
I’ve already seen that you desperately want something bad to happen to my family, but the odds are totally against it…despite your paranoid misrepresentations about “thugs running loose.”
Meanwhile, speaking of thugs, why are you so quick to oppose the law of the land? Being such a scoff law and clearly a dangerous fascist it’s smart of you to use a fake name, but do you really believe you are posting anonymously?
Annon says
…. and where is his father during all this? I have noticed that many youth in the AV come from a single parent home, and that is usually a mother. These kids, at least many of them, need a male figure in their life that is going to take control of them and put them in their place when need be. As a previous foster parent, i would never let my foster boys pull any crap, if they liked my style or not. I don’t put up with any BS from young men in my care. Most of these young men have no idea what hard work is. Morals, manners and so on. If they were my real children, id be sure to shine my boots faster than they could blink an eye. get hold of your children people. What th are you teaching them.?
Lisa says
The youth of today are out of control, some of them believe that violence, is a source of entertainment, this is not just a problem for the parents it’s a problem for the community, there need to be better social activities for our youth, until we find a better way to entertain our youth, we all are potential victims…Prayers going up to the families…Rest in paradise Annie Bell
God's Child says
Sad..My prayers go out to her family.