Teen pleads guilty in group home death

The second of two teens charged in the beating death of a third youth at a Carrick group home pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter.

Malik Crosby, 18, was ordered to be released from the Allegheny County Jail for time served. He will be on probation for an additional 18 months.

Mr. Crosby had arrived at the Circle C group home, which has since been closed, on Jan. 10, 2015. The next day, there was a fight between residents Yusuf Shepard, 17, and Nicholas Grant, 16. Mr. Crosby joined the fight with Shepard, but then it ended.

A short time later, Nicholas threw a vacuum cleaner at Mr. Crosby and Shepard, reigniting the fight, police said.

Shepard put Nicholas in a chokehold, while Mr. Crosby punched and kicked him. A worker at the home told the boys that Nicholas was turning blue and purple, but they did not stop.

Nicholas died a few days later from his injuries, including a lack of oxygen to his brain.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office had been seeking a murder conviction, but Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning granted a motion by defense attorney Aaron Sontz that neither first- nor third-degree murder applied based on the evidence in the case.

Assistant district attorney Melissa Hong-Barco said that based on that decision, the investigators and Nicholas’ family agreed to the involuntary manslaughter plea.

Mr. Crosby apologized in court.

“I’m very sorry for what I’ve done,” he said. “I wish I could have done it a different way. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Shepard pleaded guilty last month to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to serve five to 10 years in prison.