Milwaukee grandfather convicted of killing 12-year-old boy

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee man has been convicted of killing his 12-year-old grandson with a sledgehammer and several other weapons after accusing the boy of stealing money.

A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge also found Andrez Martina guilty Thursday of injuring his 8-year-old grandson.

The 53-year-old Martina took the witness stand and expressed almost no remorse for the hour-long attack last August which he claimed was in self-defense because the boy pointed a gun at him.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Stephanie Rothstein found Martina guilty of the five felonies filed against him, including first-degree intentional homicide, which carries a mandatory life sentence, in the death of Andre Smith III. Andre’s 8-year-old brother suffered a broken finger and bruises in the attack he witnessed along with their mother.

The mother could not intervene because she is disabled, a criminal complaint said.

Martina attacked Andre with a mallet, a sledgehammer, two belts, a coat rack and a cane after he awoke in the middle of the night to find money missing from his wallet, the complaint said.

Martina’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6.