BLUFFTON, S.C. - Two boys accused of beating 14-year-old Francisco Belman until the eighth-grader's heart stopped told Beaufort County deputies that they were part of a "Latin Mafia" gang that Francisco...

...An autopsy has confirmed that a coastal South Carolina eighth-grader's death was a homicide, officials say. Francisco Belman, a Bluffton middle school pupil, died at his Hardeeville home Monday, surrounded by his parents, grandmother...

...boys accused of punching an eighth-grader until his heart stopped wanted to be the boy's friend, police said. Francisco Belman, 13, of Bluffton, remained in critical but stable condition at a Charleston hospital Monday, four days after...

...middle school classmate was beaten to death. The boys, who were 13 and 14 at the time, are accused of punching Francisco Belman in the chest six times in a bathroom at H.E. McCracken Middle School in 2002. Belman, 14, collapsed on the...

...boys, 13 and 14, were arrested this week and charged with second-degree lynching for hitting 14-year-old Francisco Belman in his chest during an initiation at H.E. McCracken Middle School. Two weeks after his collapse, Francisco remained...

...initiation, the 14-year-old boy has improved enough to be taken out of intensive care at a Charleston hospital. Francisco Belman was moved into a regular room at the Medical University of South Carolina and was breathing on his own. Francisco...

...14-year-old, turned themselves in to Bluffton police Wednesday after an autopsy Tuesday confirmed that 14-year-old Francisco Belman died from injuries he suffered in the beating March 28, said Bluffton Police Chief John Brown. "Unfortunately...

...Hitch. The principal met with parents to give them his account of an incident last week that left eighth-grader Francisco Belman in critical condition. Francisco was punched in the chest "at least a couple of times" by at least one of the...

...the organization. The teens were convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter for the beating of 14-year-old Francisco Belman in a bathroom at H.E. McCracken Middle School in March 2002. Teacher is charged in relationship with girl CHARLESTON...

...middle school has reached a $200,000 settlement with the school district and local governments. The father of Francisco Belman filed the suit after the 2002 incident. The boy died several months after being punched in the chest by two fellow...