14-year-old charged as adult in death of elderly Lancaster woman

PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A 14-year-old boy who was arrested on suspicion of murdering an elderly woman in Lancaster has been charged as an adult.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged Tony Donnell Brown with one count of murder and two counts of first-degree burglary with a person present. Brown also faces special circumstance allegations that the murder was committed during the burglary and that he used a knife.

Brown is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.

The teen was arrested on suspicion of murder after an 86-year-old woman was found killed at her home in the 44600 block of Stillwater Drive Thursday evening.

Deputies found Ann Bell unresponsive with apparent stab wounds on her upper torso. Investigators said Bell was found naked and items from her purse were littered around her backyard. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brown was found hiding in some bushes in a nearby neighborhood.

Detectives said it appeared Brown confronted Bell while burglarizing her home and killed her.

The teen is being held on $1 million bail.

The district attorney said Brown had run away from a group home and was possibly staying with neighbors of the victim. The Department of Children and Family Services could not confirm that Brown lived in a group home because of the ongoing criminal proceedings.