A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder and rape in an 83-year-old woman, Baltimore police announced Friday.

Maryland law requires the boy, Tyrone Harvin, as an adult, police spokesman T. J. Smith said at a news conference. There is a process that would allow Harvin to be treated as a juvenile as his case progresses, Smith said.

Harvin is accused of sexually assaulting and killing 83-year-old Dorothy Mae Neal, who was found unresponsive on Aug. 29 in West Baltimore apartment, police say. She later died at a hospital.

Neal was beaten to death, Smith said, calling the age difference between the suspect and the victim "really something unheard of."

Smith said that the authorities speculated that the suspect may be young during their investigation, "but I do not think we were thinking about 14-year-olds." short records.

Harvin may have part of a group of neighbors who has helped Neal, Smith said. Harvin lived on the same street as the victim.

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Harvin has been involved with first degree murder and rape, in addition to various other offenses.

Smith said that Harvin to the crime.

Online short records show Harvin is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sep 19.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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