KC area girl hospitalized after mom says boy hit her with metal pole, used racial slurs
A Kansas City area girl was hospitalized Friday after she was struck in the face. Her alleged attacker, a 12-year-old boy, now faces a felony charge.
The 11-year-old, Nevaeh Thomas, was visiting friends when the boy allegedly called her racial slurs and hit her, according to a news release from Alive & Thrive Wyandotte County, a nonprofit organization. A Shawnee Police Department report said the boy used a blunt object.
The boy has since been charged with one count of aggravated battery, Kristi Bergeron, a spokeswoman for the Johnson County District Attorney’s office, said Tuesday. She confirmed Wednesday that he is currently on house arrest.
The suspect’s name has not been released because he is a minor. His defense attorney did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.
“I’m beyond angry and outraged at what has happened to one of the precious little queens of our community!!!!!!” the victim’s mother, Brandi Stewart, wrote in a GoFundMe post asking for $1,000 to help cover medical expenses. The incident occurred in Shawnee.
Stewart wrote that the boy called her daughter racial slurs “and then attempted to stab her and hit her across the face with a metal pole knocking her unconscious.”
The post includes multiple photos of the girl in a hospital bed with a large gash across her left cheek.
“This will not stand and we are gonna ensure we get justice! It’s a shame this lil queen has to go through this,” she wrote. “Racism must die!”
Attempts to reach Stewart were unsuccessful.
In a text Wednesday, the family’s lawyer LaRonna Lassiter Saunders said no one would be available to discuss the case until a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The conference will be held at 1 p.m. at the Empowerment Temple in Kansas City, Kansas.
“All I want is justice for my daughter,” Stewart said in a news release announcing Thursday’s event.
In the release, Stewart said her attorney and support group will be watching the justice system to ensure law enforcement officials do not “treat the boy better or worse than they would a child of color.”
“She didn’t do anything to provoke this boy. Clearly, he needs help, and we want to make sure he gets the help he needs,” Stewart said. “The hate needs to stop, and we can all do our part to end it by having talks with our children about racism.”
The Star’s Katie Bernard contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 7:54 PM.
