LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. – A 14-year-old Broward County teenage girl pleaded no contest in adult court to a manslaughter charge for the May 23 beating death of her 79-year-old grandmother at their Lauderdale Lakes home, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Authorities said Sofia Koval was immediately sentenced to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice’s maximum-risk commitment program, the state’s highest level for juvenile sanctions.
Under this sentence, she will serve up to three years in custody, followed by “community supervision” until she turns 21. As Sofia is not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation after completing her sentence.
Court records obtained by Local 10 News on Wednesday show the sentence is effective immediately.
Noon report:
The teenager had been charged as an adult with manslaughter and was transferred to the North Broward Bureau on Oct. 2.
During a court appearance that same day, a judge found probable cause for the charge and ordered Sofia to be held without bond, with both the defense and prosecution in agreement.
According to Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, the fatal beating happened on May 23 inside a condo along the 4100 block of Northwest 41st Street in Lauderdale Lakes.
Sofia was allegedly left home with her grandmother. That night, deputies say Yevheniia Koval was found with multiple bruises on her body. She died from her injuries.
An autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death was homicide. Sofia’s father, who is also the son of the victim, said his mother was a sweet woman who never hesitated to help others.
A family friend, who identified herself as Ms. Johnson, told Local 10 News back in May that the beating was “something out of character” for the Ukrainian teen.
“She’s been going through a lot because she wants her mom, who is in the UK. She can’t get over here,” said Johnson.
Authorities said there were no warning signs before the fatal beating.
In court, Sofia father — who is the son of the victim — described the case as a “very, very difficult situation,” saying he has lost both his mother and his daughter. He expressed full support for the plea agreement, thanking the legal teams and the judge for their handling of the case.
He also said Sofia was “troubled” and had faced bullying in Ukraine, which is why he brought her to the U.S., but the bullying continued. He thought it would be best to send her back to Ukraine, but his mother disagreed.
“We lose peace ... we lost our relationship,” Sofia’s father said Wednesday. “I hope that the judgment will (give) a chance to my daughter to assess, realize (her) mistake.”
Although she now has an adult criminal record, authorities said Sofia received juvenile sanctions as part of a negotiated plea deal.
The sentence allows Judge Thomas Coleman, who presided over her adult court case, to maintain jurisdiction. He warned that if she violates her sentence terms, she could face up to 15 years in adult prison.
Sofia has been in custody since her arrest. Prosecutors filed manslaughter charges in adult court on Oct. 1.