A 2-year-old Illinois boy is dead, and police say his 6-year-old brother is responsible for killing him. Christopher Urbina was allegedly stabbed to death inside his family’s home in Joliet, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. Officers from the Joliet Police Department reportedly arrived at a home in the 2700 block of Fairway Drive just after 5 p.m. on September 6. Christopher was immediately transferred to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a news release from the Joliet Police Department, officers spoke to the children’s mother, who told police she found Christopher with stab wounds and called 911 for help. Her older son was taken into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services and then for a mental health evaluation. It is unclear who could face charges in the case.
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The child allegedly used a kitchen knife to stab his brother.
After arriving at the home, police said they found a kitchen knife believed to be the weapon used in the attack. Police believe the older brother killed the toddler in the family room of the residence, CBS News reported. When his mother found him, she reportedly called 911. Joliet Police Sergeant Dwayne English told the news outlet that the mother and grandmother were at the home when the stabbing occurred, but it is unclear whether any other children were present.
Police took custody of the 6-year-old boy.
Christopher was rushed to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department but sadly, he was pronounced dead upon arrival, police reported. Officers took the older brother to the Joliet Police Department, where his family accompanied him, per CBS News. DCFS responded and coordinated with the Will County Health Department Screening Assessment Support Services to have the child taken to an area hospital for a mental health assessment.
Police shared their sadness with the community.
Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans posted a statement about the tragic situation on Facebook.
It reads in part, “Our community is reeling from this devastating incident as I am unable to come up with a sufficient statement that can adequately express the sorrow and pain we all feel following this heartbreaking event. Most importantly, I wish to express our thoughts and deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones that have been deeply impacted by such a tragedy. Your community stands with you in your grief, and we are here to support you in any way we can. It is natural to want to search for answers and to seek understanding in the face of such a painful tragedy.”
The Urbina family released a statement.
Allen Urbina created a GoFundMe account for the family and released a statement on their behalf.
“The loss of a young child is an unimaginable heartache that no parent or family member should ever have to endure. We are so grateful to family and friends for their love, support and prayers,” he wrote. “As we mourn the loss of our beloved Christopher, we ask for privacy. We will not be addressing the public, and we would like to ask the media for respect, privacy and responsible coverage, as inaccurate reports may add suffering to our grieving family. Thank you for your understanding.”
The fundraiser has brought in $2,4000 of a $150,000 goal thus far.
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It's unclear what will happen to the suspected killer.
CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said he doesn’t recall a case in his career in which a child younger than 10 was charged with a delinquent offense.
He explained, “There’s no minimum age for charging, but I have never in my career, both as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, seen a child 10 or under charged with a delinquent offense in the juvenile courts. And I don’t think I’m going to see it in this case either.”
He added that the family likely has a long road ahead.
“DCFS will provide services not only to the 6-year-old but to his family. Trying to keep this family intact. Trying to provide any type of psychological or any type of family reunification services for this family,” Miller said. “If DCFS lacks the resources, the county will step in. And community agencies out there, non-profits can even get involved to try to help this family get through this tragedy.”
The 6-year-old is currently in the custody of DCFS.
