Zaria Estes, the 15-year-old girl who assaulted a Temple student by hitting her in the face with a brick, which sent her to the hospital on March 21, will be sent to trial as an adult.
The decision was made in court by Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner on Sept. 9. Estes filed a motion to reconsider on Sept. 12.
Estes was arrested on March 26 and charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy, possession with an instrument of crime with intent, terroristic threats with intention to terrorize another, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
The maximum sentence for aggravated assault in Pennsylvania, a felony, is 20 years in prison.
Estes was part of a group of girls who attacked four Temple students in three separate incidents within a half-hour span west of Main Campus.
The main incident happened on the 1700 block of Norris Street, where a 19-year-old Temple student and her boyfriend, a then 21-year-old Temple student, were walking home.
The group approached the couple and began to harass them, pulling the female student’s hair and earrings and calling her a “dumb b—-,” the student told The Temple News in March.
Estes allegedly hit the female student in the face with a brick. As a result, she sustained a mild concussion, a fractured jaw and needed oral surgery. She described her appearance as “one of the most disgusting things [she] ever saw.”
The two other girls charged, both 16 years old, were also initially charged as adults. After their cases were considered in court, adult charges were dropped.
The brick incident happened one block west of campus and the remaining student body was not alerted of the what happened until an official statement from the university was issued three days later.
Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services, said the brick assault was a motivating factor to expand patrolling borders for the Temple Police. The expansion, which is already in effect, covers about 25 city blocks and now patrols the area where the incident happened.
“I think it certainly had us ask the question, ‘Are we doing everything we can to provide a safe environment for the students?’” Leone told The Temple News earlier this semester.
Estes has a status hearing scheduled for Sept. 26. Her trial date has not yet been set.
Her attorney, William Davis McFadden, did not return a request for comment.
Patricia Madej can be reached at patricia.madej@temple.edu
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