MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee man accused of fatally bludgeoning his 12-year-old grandson whom he accused of stealing his money has pleaded not guilty.
A criminal complaint alleges that 54-year-old Andrez Martina beat Andre Smith II to death. The cause of death is listed as multiple blunt force injuries to the head.
Martina remains jailed on a $750,000 cash bond.
A status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 4. Martina is charged in Milwaukee County with five felony counts, including first-degree intentional homicide and physical abuse of a child with repeated acts causing death.
Andre’s family said he had a bright smile with aspirations to be an entrepreneur and even the president.
"Andre wasn't supposed to go out like that. That's not fair to him or anybody,” Shatya Martina, Andre’s sister, said at Andre's funeral last week.
Andre's mother, Nakeda, showed videos of him, happy, dancing, singing and full of personality.
"He just always wanted to put a smile on people's faces,” Nakeda Martina said.
"He wanted to change the world. He wanted to change lives," said Andre’s father, Yahweh Yahweh.
