A Milwaukee teenager has formally admitted guilt in the horrifying beating death of a 5-year-old boy at the center of a high-profile criminal case. The teen entered guilty pleas this week to a series of felony charges linked to the fatal assault and concealment of the child’s body, marking the latest development in a case that drew widespread attention and led to reforms in how missing children are reported in Wisconsin.
Teen Pleads Guilty to Multiple Felonies
On Monday, 18-year-old Erik Mendoza acknowledged responsibility in court for five serious charges related to the death of Prince McCree, who was only 5 years old when he was killed in 2023. Mendoza, who was 15 at the time of the crime, pled guilty to first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse, and several counts of recklessly endangering safety.
Prosecutors allege the young boy was bound, gagged and subjected to a savage beating using makeshift weapons before his body was wrapped in bags and left in a dumpster near the family’s neighborhood.
Background of the Case
Prince was last seen alive on October 25, 2023, after being kept home from school due to illness. His mother asked for help finding him when he didn’t return from the basement later that day. The following morning, Prince’s body was discovered in a nearby dumpster.
Mendoza and his adult accomplice, 29-year-old David Pietura, lived in the same residence as Prince and his family and regularly interacted with the child, authorities said. Pietura earlier pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence for his role in the killing.
Impact and Next Steps
The case spurred state lawmakers to pass a new law aimed at strengthening Wisconsin’s missing-child alert system, lowering barriers for issuing alerts in cases involving young children or vulnerable minors.
Mendoza’s sentencing is set for June 5, where he could face decades or even life in prison given the gravity of the offenses.
