State police at Honesdale have charged a 10-year-old Wayne County boy with criminal homicide in the death of a 90-year-old woman.

Tristen Kurilla, Damascus Township, was charged as an adult. Police say he punched Helen Novak of Tyler Hill numerous times in the throat Saturday, at first placing a cane on her neck.

According to a news release from Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards, the boy was visiting his grandfather, Anthony Virbitsky, who lives at 349 Skylake Road in Tyler Hill. Virbitsky was Novak's caretaker.

About 11:15 a.m., state police received a call from the Wayne County Communications Center that a woman was dead at the residence, according to the DA's office.

The Wayne County coroner was contacted and Deputy Coroner Carol Leinert went to the scene and found Novak dead in her room. She was examined by Leinert and transferred to the Wayne Memorial Hospital morgue.

At about 3:20 on Saturday, Martha Virbitsky went to the state police barracks in Honesdale with her son and reported that her son told her that he had gone into Novak's room at his grandfather's home and Novak yelled at him, according to the DA's press release.

Martha Virbitsky told police that her son told her that he got angry, lost his temper, grabbed a cane and put it on Novak's throat at his grandfather's home earlier in the day.

State Trooper John Decker then met with the boy and Martha Virbitsky and agreed to sit down with them to discuss Novak's death. Decker mirandized the boy and reviewed his rights with him and Martha Virbitsky.

The affidavit states that the boy told Decker that he pulled Novak down on the bed and held a cane on her throat and then punched her numerous times. The boy then went to his grandfather and told him that Novak was bleeding from her mouth.

Anthony Virbitsky went to check on Novak and said she was OK. Virbitsky then asked the boy if he had done something to Novak and the boy said "No," according to the DA's office.

Anthony Virbitsky then went back to Novak about 11 a.m., found her unresponsive and called 911.

Anthony Virbitsky also stated that after finding Novak unresponsive, he asked the boy again if he had done something to Novak. This time, the boy told his grandfather that he had punched Novak and put a cane on her throat.

An autopsy was performed Monday by Dr. Gary Ross at Wayne Memorial Hospital, Honesdale, and Novak's death was ruled a homicide. Ross reported that he found blunt force trauma to Novak's neck. Ross also stated that the account given by the boy to state police was consistent with the injuries he observed.

According to the DA's news release, the crime of homicide is specifically excluded from the juvenile code. Thus, a juvenile who is accused of committing the crime of homicide is charged as an adult.

Once charged, the boy was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Bonnie Carney and no bail was ordered. The boy was then taken to the Wayne County Correctional Facility, where he will remain until his scheduled preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 22 in Wayne County Central Court.