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Posted: Thursday, 09 July 2009 3:38PM
Charges possible against teens accused of burning 9-year-old boy
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CROWN POINT, Ind. (STNG) -- Lake County juvenile prosecutors have not yet decided on whether to file criminal charges against three teens accused of badly burning 9-year-old Joshua Judkins last month in Hammond.
A statement from the prosecutor's office last week that no charges would be filed against the boys, ages 15, 14, and 13, was incorrect, the result of "miscommunication" between staffers, said spokeswoman Diane Poulton.
Prosecutor's staff are waiting for a final report from the FBI on the June 8 incident before making a decision on charges, Poulton said.
Police in Hammond turned over their investigation to prosecutors nearly three weeks ago, and also forwarded a report to the FBI, which was to investigate allegations that Judkins, who is black, was the target of a "hate crime."
The FBI still has not finished its investigation, spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said.
Judkins told his parents he was invited into the woods to build a fire with the older boys, all of whom are white, and that one of them threw rubbing alcohol on his back and set him alight.
Judkins suffered second-degree burns on his back and torso, and had to be hospitalized for several days.
A police report filed June 8 by Hammond police makes no mention of any potential racial motive.
The report lists the incident as criminal recklessness causing serious bodily injury, a felony.
The older boys said they and Judkins all were using rubbing alcohol to light sticks on fire in the woods near the Kennedy Crossing apartment complex, where Judkins was staying with his mother.
Judkins, the boys said, was standing over the bottle of alcohol and burst into flames, though Judkins' family members say the location of his burns does not jibe with the teens' story.
Judkins and the three boys were the only witnesses.
Judkins' family has complained that Hammond police were slow to investigate the incident.
The Hammond NAACP issued a statement this week "demanding" justice for Judkins.
The Post-Tribune was unable to reach Judkins' parents Wednesday. Joshua, who lives with his father and attends school in Gary, has returned home from the hospital, his mother, Arkeesha Moore-Judkins, said last week.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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