DETROIT - A 17-year-old teen was charged with the homicide of a 91-year-old Detroit man.
The teen, George Stewart, is believed to have fatally assaulted Paul Monchnik, then setting the elderly man's house on fire Monday.
Monchnik was found with severe burns and a head injury, and pronounced dead at the scene, in the 20500 block of Bentler on the city's west side.
Stewart has been charged with First Degree Murder, Felony Murder, and Arson and is expected to be arraigned Nov. 26 in 34th District Court in Romulus before noon.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said, "The alleged facts in this case are that the defendant killed his elderly neighbor by beating him and attempting to burn the evidence. The word heinous dies not even begin to describe this crime."
Police say surveillance video from a nearby gas station recorded Stewart driving Monchnik's minivan and buying the gasoline container he used to torch the home
"What could have possibly motivated this?" said Dennis Ferguson. "I'm baffled. I don't know it doesn't make sense to me."
Neighbors like Ferguson are still wrapping their heads around what happened.
"It's shocking because the fact is they would cut his grass," Ferguson said. "I would see them on occasion they would help him out cut his grass, use his driveway on occasion."
Monchnik was retired and worked as a TV repairman and had lived in the neighborhood for more than 50 years.
Stewart's grandfather and namesake said little on Wednesday, broken over the murder of a neighbor and friend. Also broken over the likelihood his grandson was responsible.
"I'm not making any comments about anything regarding his trial," Stewart said. "The only thing my family is really going to say right now is I think its Acts 21: 'But he will not be persuaded let the will of the Lord be done.'
