A 14-year-old boy being held on suspicion of the murder of 12-year-old Leo Ross has been arrested for three assaults on elderly people in the same area of Birmingham shortly before the killing.
Police said they had been granted more time to question the 14-year-old, who has now been arrested in relation to three assaults in the Hall Green area on 19, 20 and 21 January, with the last one taking place shortly before the stabbing of Leo.
The victims of the assaults are aged in their 70s and 80s.
Ch Supt Richard North said: “I would ask the public and the media not to speculate on the motive of this incident; the investigation is in the early stages and we have someone in custody.”
He urged anyone with CCTV, mobile phone or dashcam footage from the days leading up to Tuesday 21 January to get in touch.
“We continue to work day in day out, with parents, schools, carers and other partners to educate young people on knife crime and its devastating consequences,” he said.
“This work must and will continue. Today, our focus is on the family of the young boy who has lost his life in such a tragic way, and ensuring we get justice for him and his family.”
Police said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of the 19 January assault, and while in custody he was further arrested on suspicion of murder and then the two further assaults.
On Wednesday, Diane Henson, the executive headteacher of Christ Church C of E secondary academy, where Leo was a pupil, said he was “a lively and happy young man”.
“He had many very good friends, who he absolutely adored, and they adored him,” she said. “He was just a lovely and bright member of the school community.”
The school has since confirmed that the suspect had never been a student at the school.
The stabbing happened in a pathway through a wooded area and under a railway line that is used as a shortcut by many children walking home from school, near Scribers Lane in Hall Green, south Birmingham.
Leo was found by a member of the public having been stabbed in the stomach at about 3.40pm. Police said it was a “chaotic and absolutely traumatic scene”. He was transported to hospital where he died from his injuries at about 7.30pm.
Local residents said the area had been plagued by antisocial behaviour in recent months, with one man saying he had told his family not to walk down the path due to safety concerns.
