Police detained a 17-year-old neighbor of Jenise Wright, 6, three days after authorities ruled her death as homicide. A judge at the Kitsap County Superior Court, Washington, set a $1 million bail for the suspect for allegedly raping and killing the girl.
Gabriel Z Gaeta was taken into custody Monday and has been booked on rape and murder charges. Officials said that the evidence found near Wright's body led them to Gaeta.
According to the court documents, Wright suffered blunt-force trauma on the head and was strangled and sexually assaulted. The Associated Press reports that Kitsap County prosecutor Kelly Montgomery requested for the bail amount "based on the heinous nature of the crime that is alleged."
The prosecutors said that Gaeta, who was friends with the Wright family, is expected to be tried as an adult after he turns 18 this December.
The court documents show that Gaeta "clearly nodded yes" when asked if only he was involved in the crime. "Certainly, as you can see from the probable cause statement, his interactions suggested that he knew that responsibility was rightfully focused on him," Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge said, reports AP.
Wright was reported missing Aug. 3 and was found dead Thursday morning in a wooded area behind Steele Creek Mobile Home Park, Bremerton, Wash.
The Seattle Times reports that James Wright, father of the victim, said that the teen visited their home on several occasions. He was also a friend of their older children. "It's devastating, and it's going to be hard to forgive," he said.
Judge Kevin Hull allowed the plea by prosecutors for a mental-health assessment of the teen. His next court hearing date has been set for Aug. 28.
