ST-JEROME, Quebec — A youth court judge convicted a 16-year-old boy Thursday of first-degree murder for beating a Cuban-born girl to death with a baseball bat after luring her to a sandpit.
The boy, who had a fascination for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and a hatred for immigrants, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
He never denied killing the 15-year-old girl.
The girl’s mother, Beatrice Garcia, cried as Judge Jean Beaulieu read his decision. She later left the courthouse through a back door.
The teen showed no reaction.
The teen’s lawyer, Francis Cloutier, argued the teen was not criminally responsible for his actions. Cloutier said the teen suffered from a paranoid delusionary disorder and felt his victim, Aylin Otano-Garcia, was out to get him.
Beaulieu said it was important his decision be based on the evidence before him and not the monstrosity of the act committed.
Testimony during the trial revealed the boy told police he killed Otano-Garcia because of his “racist Nazi beliefs” and because she bothered him all the time.
