A 13-year-old Orlando boy was arrested in Osceola County late Tuesday night on first-degree murder charges after beating his 8-year-old brother to death over a dessert and a scab, according to officials.
Demetrius Key was arrested about 11:30 p.m. at a relative's home in St. Cloud after Levares Key died over the weekend.
Levares was found unresponsive by Orange County sheriff's deputies inside an apartment on Saturday. His death was ruled a homicide on Tuesday.
Deputies were called to 4431 S. Texas Ave. Apt. No. 208 on Saturday afternoon, and Lavares was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died later Saturday night, according to officials.
Officials said Demetrius is cooperating with investigators.
"The 13-year-old did confess and did describe to us how this occurred," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. John Allen said.
Investigators said that Demetrius was babysitting an undisclosed amount of siblings when he became upset with Lavares because Lavares ate a dessert he wasn't supposed to and picked a scab until it bled.
Demetrius admitted to kicking, beating, choking and repeatedly banging his brother's head on the floor until Lavares was unconscious, according to investigators.
Officials said when the boy was discovered he had numerous bruises, some of which did not appear to be from a recent incident.
"It certainly appears at this point that the child has been beaten over a long period of time," Allen said.
"When I (saw) the little boy, I (saw) bruises under his eye, up under his nose, by his lip," an unidentified neighbor said.
"It's not right. No parenting. There should have been better supervision. I just feel like it's bad to see one child to suffer," neighbor Burger Johnson said.
Lavares was being raised by his godmother for the last eight years, but his biological mother took him back several months ago, officials told Local 6 News.
The Department of Children and Families has investigated the family in the past, officials said.
Demetrius is being held to the Osceola County Juvenile Detention Center in Kissimmee.
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