Girl Charged in Killing
A 15-year-old Rialto girl accused of clubbing an elderly woman to death over the weekend was charged with murder as an adult Tuesday, but prosecutors said another girl who was with her will not be tried.
San Bernardino County Deputy Dist. Atty. Ben Gonzalez identified the defendant as Christy Phillips. Police say she confessed to battering a 72-year-old widow to death on a whim Saturday after telling the victim she wanted to adopt one of her many cats.
Rialto Police Lt. Joe Cirilo said Monday that Phillips was accompanied by a 13-year-old friend who was in the house at the time and “knew what was going on.”
But the younger girl will not be charged in the murder, prosecutors said Tuesday. “There is insufficient evidence to show that the 13-year-old was involved in the murder,” said district attorney spokeswoman Susan Mickey.
The victim, Manuela Ramos Fyock, was found bludgeoned to death in her home Saturday night. Authorities said she was killed with a lug wrench, hatchet, monkey wrench and other tools.
The younger girl’s mother called police after she said her daughter, whom she described as mildly retarded, told her Fyock “had an accident.”
Police said the 15-year-old demonstrated to officers how the killing was carried out, but offered no explanation and showed no remorse.
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