Boy, 12, charged in toddler's rape, death

SPRINGFIELD -- A 12-year-old Springfield boy has been charged with murdering and raping a 3-year-old boy, a prosecutor said yesterday.

The 12-year-old is not being identified because of his age. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield Juvenile Court today.

Hampden District Attorney William Bennett said that 3-year-old Jeremy Rosario Milan died on Dec. 19, after being hospitalized with bruises and a severe head injury. The 12-year-old was charged with assaulting the child and pleaded not guilty to the crime in Juvenile Court on Dec. 20. He is being held on $10,000 bail in the custody of the state Department of Youth Services.