Crime 9-Year-Old Girl Facing Criminal Charge After Allegedly Beating 4-Year-Old Brother to Death with Broomstick A criminal complaint alleges the Alabama girl "did willfully torture, willfully abuse and cruelly beat" her brother By Chris Harris Chris Harris Twitter Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. An award-winning journalist who has worked for Rolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 9, 2022 10:21 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: WKRG/ youtube A 4-year-old boy has died after being beaten with a broomstick in Mobile, Ala. — and authorities claim the victim's assailant was his 9-year-old sister. According to a statement from Mobile Police, the fatal beating occurred on Feb. 3. Officers were dispatched to a home that morning "in reference to a medical emergency involving a child," the statement reads. Police arrived to find a little boy "unresponsive inside the residence." Emergency medical technicians were also called in, and "pronounced the victim deceased on the scene." Detectives handling the investigation learned "the child suffered signs of child abuse." The statement did not elaborate on those alleged signs. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Yolanda Coale, 53, the children's caregiver and aunt, was arrested for aggravated child abuse, the statement notes. WTVY, citing court documents, reports that the 9-year-old has also been charged with assault. Police have not released the names of the siblings. According to WTVY, Coale allegedly told police she awoke to the sound of screams and found the 9-year-old sister beating her brother with a broomstick. The complaint alleges the girl "did willfully torture, willfully abuse and cruelly beat" her brother, WPMI reports. Coale was arrested the following day. She remains in custody on $150,000 bond. It was unclear Wednesday if she had entered a plea to the charge or had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.