CONWAY, S.C. — Prosecutors in South Carolina have announced that a 16-year-old accused of sexually assaulting a 71-year-old woman will be tried as an adult.
The 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced Wednesday that Nicholas O. Rios will be prosecuted as an adult on attempted murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, burglary and kidnapping charges.
An assistant solicitor said “the seriousness of the crime” called for adult prosecution.
Horry County police said officers responded to a Surfside Beach home in July for a possible sexual assault. A police report obtained by news outlets says the victim told emergency personnel she was injured in a fall.
The report says responders found the circumstances suspicious and called police. On the way to the hospital, the woman revealed she’d been attacked by an intruder.
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Associated Press