11-year-old Perth Amboy student gets 3 years’ probation for after-school stabbing
An 11-year-old Perth Amboy student who assaulted another 11-year-old boy with a knife on their way home from middle school earlier this year has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to three years’ probation.
The boy, who pleaded guilty to juvenile statutes for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, must successfully complete a residential treatment program as a condition of probation, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said.
The probation and residential treatment program sentence was imposed May 24 by a Middlesex County Family Court judge, according to the prosecutor's office.
Around 2:37 p.m. on Feb. 22, the sixth grade student assaulted another boy, who was a fifth grade student, with a household knife on Johnstone Street between Sutton and Ridgeley streets as they were walking home from Shull Middle School, the prosecutor said.
The fifth grade student suffered serious injuries in the attack and was hospitalized. The attack stemmed from a dispute between the students earlier in the day, city officials have said.
The sixth grader was taken into custody following an investigation by the Perth Amboy Police Department's Special Victims Bureau. During a preliminary hearing held on Feb. 23, it was determined the juvenile would remain detained.
On April 19, the juvenile pled guilty before Middlesex County Family Court Judge Deborah Venezia to offenses which if committed by an adult would constitute second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the prosecutor's office said.
At the time of the incident, the city's teacher's union said it was the latest example of student behavior "out of control," particularly at the Shull School.
In a joint statement, city and school board officials said they condemned and will not tolerate acts of violence against anyone, especially children. Shortly after the stabbing, the school district announced steps to improve school safety, including stationing armed security guards at all school buildings for several months, installing metal detectors and revising a policy for backpack searches.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Perth Amboy NJ student sentenced to probation in after-school stabbing
