A 72-year-old grandmother in North Carolina was arrested after police said she beat her eight-year-old granddaughter to death.
According to the Nash County Sheriff's Office, Patricia Ricks, 72, is being held without bond at the Nash County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder and felony child abuse with serious injury following the death of her granddaughter, per People.
The sheriff's office said deputies were notified that a child was taken to a local hospital with severe injuries on Tuesday (February 7) and pronounced dead upon arrival.
"Based on the investigation, it was determined that the 8-year-old juvenile was beaten so severe by the grandmother that she died from the injuries," police said in a statement. "The child had severe injuries throughout her entire body and head."
Ricks was the legal guardian of the eight-year-old who succumbed to her injuries along with five other children, according to Sheriff Keith Stone. Stone said the surviving children are now in state custody.
According to People, it's unclear whether Ricks has retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
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